The UnitedHealthcare CEO shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel in a "targeted" attack Wednesday morning had received multiple threats, his wife told NBC News.
Brian Thompson, 50, was shot in the back and calf outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in what police officials described as a "premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack" against the insurance giant CEO.
Thompson was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked to the Hilton Midtown from where he was staying at a nearby hotel. UnitedHealth Group was set to hold an investor day at the Hilton on Wednesday but canceled it after reports of the shooting, CNBC reports.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that the executive told her "there were some people that had been threatening him.” She said she didn't have details, but suggested they may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
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"Speaking to other employees that traveled with him to New York, it doesn't seem like he had a security detail," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters. "He left the hotel by himself, was walking, didn't seem like he had any issues at at all."
The suspect, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a distinct gray backpack, then fled on foot down an alleyway before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away. The shooter was at large, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs.
Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Police offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
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Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the suspect fled. They were also searching Thompson's hotel room and interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
She said her husband had a "big heart" and "touched so many lives."
“Brian was a wonderful person with a big heart and who lived life to the fullest. He will be greatly missed by everybody. Our hearts our broken and we are completely devastated by this news. He touched so many lives. We ask everybody to respect our privacy during this time," Paulette Thompson told KARE 11.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare," the insurer's parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Thompson has served as UnitedHealthcare CEO for more than three years having been named to the top job in April 2021, according to his official bio. Thompson had been with UnitedHealthcare since 2004.
Police said the motive for the shooting remains unknown.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case and police are asking for the public's help in solving the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
