Surveillance Video Of Fatal Shooting Of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Who Was Shot Dead In New York, USA (watch)
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare was fatally shot in what police said appears to be a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack” outside the New York Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning, December 4.
Thompson, 50, was on his way to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference when the gunman approached from behind and “fired several rounds,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference.
He was struck at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf, Tisch said, adding that the gunman was “lying in wait for several minutes.”
“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” she said.
Security video shows Thompson, dressed in a blue suit, walking down the fairly quiet street. The gunman, who was wearing a black hoodie and black pants and carrying a gray backpack approaches him from behind and opens fire, it shows. Thompson stumbles forward as a witness runs to safety. The gunman continues to fire as Thompson falls to the ground, the video shows.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the shooter arrived at the scene about five minutes before the shooting and fired at Thompson’s back.
“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again,” he said.
Three live 9 mm rounds and three discharged 9 mm shell casings were found at the scene, as well as a cell phone near the scene.
“The motive for this murder is currently unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear the victim was specifically targeted,” he told reporters. “But at this point, we do not know why.”
Thompson, who lives in Minnesota, was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai West.
His wife, Paulette Thompson, said he had been receiving threats.
“There had been some threats,” she told NBC News. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
She said police had told her it appeared the shooting was “a planned attack.” The shooter fled on foot and then on a rental bike, Tisch said.
