Suspect in shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO fled New York City by bus, police say

Saturday, December 7, 2024

Still shot from security camera footage that captured the encounter on video.
Image: No photographer: fixed CCTV.

On Friday, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told media that authorities now believe the suspect accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is no longer in New York City, and promptly fled on a bus after the murder.

The New York Hilton Midtown hotel, where the shooting occured.
Image: Ingfbruno.

Police also said they had recovered a backpack left abandoned in Central Park that is believed to have belonged to the shooter.

The shooter’s face was concealed with a mask during the attack, and is believed to have only briefly removed it during his stay in the city. Photos released by police appear to show the suspect unmasked in a hostel. At the time of the statement to media, police had yet to identify the perpetrator or establish a motive for the killing.

The unidentified shooter ambushed Thompson from behind early Wednesday outside New York Hilton Midtown, where he was to participate in UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference. The shooter was seen on video fleeing on bicycle before taking a taxi to the Port Authority bus terminal, but was not seen exiting. Locations accessible from this terminal include New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Upstate New York and Washington, D.C.