New York City mayor says suspect in UnitedHealth executive murder case has been identified, according to New York Post
(Reuters) – Authorities have identified the man suspected of killing UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson and are searching for him, the New York Post quoted New York Mayor Eric Adams as saying on Saturday.
According to the Washington Post, Adams told reporters at a Police Athletic League holiday party in Harlem that “the Internet is tightening.” He declined to name the suspect.
Thompson, 50, who became chief executive of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021, was shot in the back around 6:45 a.m. ET (1145 GMT) on Wednesday in what police said was a gunshot wound. Targeted attacks by masked attackers.
News you can trust and daily fun, right in your inbox
Experience it firsthand — The Yodel is your go-to source for daily news, entertainment and light-hearted stories.
The murder occurred before the company held its annual investor conference at the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue.
The shooting sparked a massive manhunt for the gunman, who fled on foot wearing a hooded jacket, balaclava and gray backpack before riding an electric bicycle into Central Park, police said.
The Washington Post quoted Adams as saying that police were temporarily withholding the suspect’s name to prevent him from gaining any advantage.
“We don’t want to release it right now,” the mayor said. “If you do that, you’re basically tipping the guy we’re looking for, and we don’t want him to get the upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind a mask.
“We showed his face,” he continued, referring to security camera photos and videos released after the murder. “We will reveal who he is and bring him to justice.”
New York police said on Friday they believed the suspect had left New York City after video showed him climbing into a taxi that took him to a bus stop.
“We have video of him entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal. We don’t have any video of him leaving, so we believe he may have gotten on a bus,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney told CNN. “These buses are interstate buses. That’s why we believe he may have left New York City.”
Police said the circumstances of the attack suggested it was premeditated and planned, with video showing the gunman ignoring other pedestrians while waiting for Thompson. It’s unclear what the shooter’s motive was.
Surveillance footage showed the gunman standing behind Thompson, raising his pistol and shooting him in the back. Thompson, a married father of two, suffered gunshot wounds to his back and leg and was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after the attack.
UnitedHealth is the largest health insurance company in the United States, providing benefits to tens of millions of Americans who pay more for health care than people in any other country.
(Reporting by Jonathan Landy; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
