Authorities are closing in on the man suspected of killing UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Saturday, as reported by the New York Post.
Thompson, 50, CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance unit since 2021, was shot in the back around 6:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday in what police described as a targeted attack. The masked assailant, lying in wait, fled on an electric bike after the shooting, which occurred near the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue just before the company’s annual investor conference.
“The net is tightening,” Adams stated at a holiday event in Harlem, declining to name the suspect. He emphasized withholding details to avoid tipping off the individual. “We’ve revealed his face,” Adams added, referencing security footage of the gunman, “and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
Police recovered a backpack resembling the suspect’s near a Central Park playground. Media reports said it contained a jacket and Monopoly money but no firearm. Police divers searched a Central Park pond for the weapon.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told CNN that investigators have gathered substantial evidence, including fingerprints, DNA, and extensive security footage tracking the suspect’s movements.
Video shows the gunman entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal, leading police to believe he left New York City. The NYPD and FBI are offering a combined $60,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Authorities believe the attack was premeditated, as the shooter ignored other pedestrians while targeting Thompson. Security footage shows the assailant raising a handgun and shooting Thompson in the back.
Thompson, a married father of two, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital shortly after the attack. UnitedHealth is the largest U.S. health insurer, serving millions of Americans.
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