A CEO from Minnesota was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning.
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest single health carrier in the United States, was shot in the chest, and subsequently taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The 50-year-old was walking toward the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, near where the gunman was waiting for some time, to attend a UnitedHealthcare conference.
© GettyThe gunman, who was masked, remains at large, and there is a manhunt underway to locate him.
Though law enforcement has shared that it appears to have been a targeted shooting, details on the circumstances and a possible motive or suspect are not immediately clear.
UnitedHealthcare, of which Thompson had been CEO since 2021, has cancelled its investors day.The NYPD will host a press conference at 11:30am local time.
© GettyA spokesperson for the New York Hilton Midtown told CNN: "We are deeply saddened by this morning's events in the area and our thoughts are with all affected by the tragedy. Additional questions should be directed to the New York Police Department."
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During the press conference, it was shared that the suspect arrived on foot five minutes before victim’' arrival from his own hotel across the street, and the shooting was around 6:40am.
© GettyThe shooter appears to be a light skin male, and there is up to $10,000 reward for information regarding the homicide. After the shooting, he took a bike to Central Park.
The Rockefeller Tree Lighting event, which is scheduled for tonight, remains as scheduled, though there will be heavily increased police presence in the area and in subways.
Wife speaks out
Thompson is survived by his wife Paulette Thompson and their two children. Speaking with NBC News, she shared that he had been receiving threats. A spokesperson for the New York Hilton Midtown told CNN: "We are deeply saddened by this morning's events in the area and our thoughts are with all affected by the tragedy. Additional questions should be directed to the New York Police Department."
"Yes, there had been some threats basically I don't know, a lack of coverage? I don't know details," she said, adding: "I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him." She however also noted that she "can't really give a thoughtful response right now," and: "I just found this out and I'm trying to console my children."
