The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest U.S. health insurers, was fatally shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel Wednesday morning in what the police called a brazen, assassination-style slaying.
The killing set off a frantic manhunt for the masked assailant, who shot the executive, Brian Thompson, from behind as Mr. Thompson arrived at the New York Hilton Midtown on West 54th Street for an investors’ gathering.
After firing at least three shots at Mr. Thompson, 50, and hitting him in the calf and back, the shooter ran through a nearby passageway to West 55th Street, where he jumped on an electric Citi Bike and rode off into Central Park, the police said.
Here’s what we know about the shooting:
Who was Brian Thompson?
Mr. Thompson became UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in April 2021. The company, which is based in Minneapolis, is a unit of UnitedHealth Group, whose market valuation of $560 billion makes it one of the country’s largest publicly traded companies.
Mr. Thompson spent more than 20 years rising through the ranks at UnitedHealthcare, which offers insurance to companies and individuals, employs about 140,000 people and had $281 billion in revenue in 2023.
He received total compensation of $10.2 million last year, with $1 million in base pay augmented by substantial cash and stock grants. The company’s profits rose on his watch, jumping to more than $16 billion last year from $12 billion in 2021.
But amid the growth, the company and its parent also attracted scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators who accused them of systematically refusing to authorize health care procedures and treatments.
UnitedHealth Group’s size and scope have attracted the attention of the Justice Department, which is examining whether it has engaged in anti-competitive behavior.
According to regulatory filings, Mr. Thompson owned about $20 million of UnitedHealth Group shares as of late September. Bloomberg reported in April that he was one of several company executives who sold shares before the Justice Department antitrust investigation was disclosed to investors — about $15 million worth, in Mr. Thompson’s case. The company told Bloomberg at the time that the sales had been approved.
Before joining UnitedHealthcare, Mr. Thompson spent nearly seven years at the accounting and consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, now known as PwC.
He graduated from the University of Iowa with an accounting degree in 1997 and lived in a Minneapolis suburb with his wife, Paulette R. Thompson, a physical therapist, and two children.
Why was he in Manhattan?
The shooting occurred as Mr. Thompson arrived early at the hotel to prepare for a UnitedHealthcare investors’ day gathering.
Such events, which are common for publicly traded companies, give major shareholders and analysts who track the companies a chance to hear from executives and pepper them with questions.
The New York Hilton Midtown, one of New York City’s largest hotels, is in a busy tourist area, close to the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center, where the famous Christmas tree was scheduled to be lit Wednesday night.
How did the shooting unfold?
The killer, according to images released by the police and security-camera footage, was a man wearing a dark hooded jacket, a gray backpack and a mask covering the bottom of his face.
Apparently knowing which door Mr. Thompson planned to enter, the shooter arrived outside the hotel about 10 minutes before his intended target and ignored passers-by as he lay in wait.
As Mr. Thompson, in a blue suit, walked toward the hotel entrance, the shooter approached him from behind and fired at least three shots with a pistol that appeared to be fitted with a silencer. The pistol jammed during the shooting, but the gunman cleared the jam quickly and continued firing.
Struck by the bullets, Mr. Thompson took several steps, turned to face his assailant and then collapsed on the sidewalk.
With his victim crumpled against a wall, the shooter walked toward him slowly. He seemed to point the gun at Mr. Thompson one more time, then walked away. He began to run only as he was crossing the street.
Where does the investigation stand?
The police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, who was sworn into the job just 10 days ago, said her department would “not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case.”
Officers recovered a cellphone near the shooting site, and detectives were conducting a forensic analysis to see whether it was linked to the killing, the police said.
Investigators were also expected to comb through footage from the many security cameras on the surrounding blocks that might offer leads as to where the shooter came from and where he went, as well as possible images of his face.
One place he apparently stopped before the shooting was a nearby Starbucks on Sixth Avenue. Several images released by the police from inside the coffee shop showed what appeared to be a man dressed the same way as the shooter.
The attacker’s means of escape could also offer clues. Citi Bike riders must use a debit or credit card to unlock a bicycle, and the dock locations and times at which bikes are removed and returned are also recorded.
Investigators were also examining Mr. Thompson’s background for signs of a possible motive.
He had recently received several threats, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation; the source and precise nature of the threats was unclear.
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