For several minutes, the perpetrator waited for Brian Thompson, CEO of United Health Care, before attacking.
Thompson, CEO of America’s largest health insurance company, was shot in the back and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
“The motive for this killing is unclear, but based on the evidence we have, it appears that the victim was chosen, but we don’t know why,” said Joseph Kenny, NYPD Chief of Crime Investigation.
Brian Thompson, 50, left his Manhattan hotel in New York to walk over to the Hilton hotel where he was to attend a conference. Outside the Hilton hotel, the perpetrator was waiting for him.
– At an early stage of the investigation, this appears to be a reckless and deliberate attack, says Jessica Tisch, police chief in New York.
The killer waited several minutes
The murder occurred during the morning in the middle of an open street and several people were at the scene.
– The shooter steps onto the sidewalk after standing behind a car, ignores several other people, approaches the victim from behind and shoots him. He then walks towards the victim and continues to shoot, said Joseph Kenny, chief of crime at the New York Police Department.
Thompson was hit in the leg and back and was found a short time later by the police. He was taken to hospital, but his life could not be saved.
– The shooter arrived at the scene on foot five minutes before the victim, he was standing by the building at the same time as several other people passed, says Joseph Kenny.
Escaped on a rental bike to Central Park
The perpetrator then fled the scene on foot, and then continued to flee on a rental bike. The police managed to trace parts of the escape, on videos the person is seen cycling into Central Park, but the tracks end there. The police are also in contact with the company that owns the rental bike in order to trace it.
The police have now issued a reward of 10,000 dollars to the person who can provide information that leads the investigation forward.
At this point, the police do not know what the motive is for the murder, but they are sure that Thompson was not a randomly chosen victim.
The police: Unclear why he was murdered
Thompson was CEO of United Health Care, which is the insurance division of United Health Group. United Health Group is one of the world’s ten largest companies by revenue and America’s largest health insurance company.
The police are now investigating whether Thompson’s role within the company may have been the motive for the crime, but according to the police it is too early to draw any conclusions.
– The motive for this murder is unclear, but based on the evidence we have, it appears that the victim was chosen, but we don’t know why. This is not a random act of violence, said Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Wife: He had been threatened before
Interviews are now being held with Thompson’s family and colleagues to see if there was any threat against him. At the time, he should not have had any security guards or similar with him.
– We look at everything, his social media, talk to his family and colleagues and the police in Minnesota, says Joseph Kenny.
For NBC News states his wife Paulette that there had been threats against Brian Thompson.
– I don’t know the details. I only know that he said that there had been some people who had threatened him, says Paulette Thompson.