NEW YORK — More than 24 hours after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan, a citywide manhunt continues for his killer.
Detectives are combing through his electronics to see if he faced any threats, and they say the gunman may have dropped vital clues.
CBS News has confirmed law enforcement officials say the words “deny,” “defend,” and “deflect” were written on shell casings that were recovered at the scene. Officials say they are examining whether the words point to a motive, possibly related to insurance companies’ responses to claims.
Video shows brazen shooting outside Hilton Midtown
Surveillance video captured the brazen and targeted attack early Wednesday morning.
A masked shooter using a silencer approached Thompson from behind and shot him in the back and the leg. The weapon appeared to jam, but the suspect cleared it and kept shooting.
The gunman then jogged across the street, in plain view of witnesses.
“I was looking at my phone, then I hear the shot. And when I looked, the guy was with a gun, like a silent gun,” one witness said.
Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, was heading to the Hilton Midtown to address investors at a UnitedHealthcare conference.
The NYPD is now working with authorities in Minnesota, where he is from, to identify any specific threats against him. Police sources say detectives uncovered rantings directed at the company, but no threats to his personal safety.
“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday. “Every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.”
Manhunt leads police to Central Park
CBS News New York
From the Hilton, investigators believe the suspect hopped on a bike and rode to Central Park. Video obtained by CBS News appears to show him leaving the park on West 85th Street about 15 minutes after the shooting.
“What we’re looking at is a gunman who was thoughtful and prepared, staked out the scene, began by shooting the person in the back,” said CBS News law enforcement contributor Richard Esposito, a former NYPD deputy commissioner.
Police said the suspect planned carefully, but not perfectly. He went to a nearby Starbucks minutes before the shooting, where sources say surveillance images may have captured enough of his face to run through facial recognition.
“The full investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department are well underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case,” Tisch said.
Police sources say investigators are running forensic tests on a water bottle and candy bar wrapper they believe the suspect left at the Starbucks, as well as a discarded cellphone found near the scene.
“A wonderful person with a big heart”
Thompson arrived in the city Monday from Minnesota and was scheduled to address investors at the company’s annual investor relations conference. Top executives quickly canceled the shareholders meeting.
“The company is just distraught, his colleagues are distraught,” said Taylor Smith, who was staying at the Hilton.
Investigators are now probing every aspect of Thompson’s life to try to find a motive.
“They’re going to look at the business end, you have a company that’s laid people off. They’re going to look at the personal stories, and they’re going to focus on letters, desperate people who were denied care or tests or something that could’ve saved a life or who blame the company,” Former NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said.
The 50-year-old was married with two sons. His wife, Paulette, spoke about the family’s loss.
“Brian was a wonderful person with a big heart and who lived life to the fullest,” she said. “He will be greatly missed by everybody. Our hearts are broken and we are completely devastated by this news.”
The NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward in the case, asking the public to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls are kept confidential.
