Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot in New York during a targeted attack

Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and murdered Wednesday outside a hotel in Manhattan by a hooded shooter who was reportedly waiting for him. Police described the incident as a brazen attack that appeared to target the Maple Grove native.

According to officials during a news briefing on Wednesday, Thompson, 50, was shot many times outside the Hilton Midtown hotel on Sixth Avenue close to West 54th Street in New York City at around 6:45 a.m. Thompson was staying at another hotel nearby and heading to the Hilton for a business function when he was attacked; he was not a guest at the Hilton.

According to Tisch, the CEO was hit at least once in the leg and once in the back while making his way to the parent firm UnitedHealth Group's annual investor meeting.

“Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in what appears — in this early stage of our investigation — to be a brazen, targeted attack,” Tisch said. “This does not appear to be a random act of violence.”

The police commissioner added: “I want to be clear, at this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.”

The identity of the suspect is unknown. In addition to being light-skinned, he was sporting a gray rucksack that NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny called "very distinctive."

The suspect seemed to be skilled with guns, according to Kenny, who also mentioned that the suspect seemed to rapidly clear a jam in his weapon. According to the NYPD, the suspect's firearm also had a silencer.

According to Kenny, the shooter was also sporting a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers, and a jacket that was either light brown or cream in color.

According to Tisch, the gunman first escaped on foot before boarding a rented bike. Central Park is where we last saw him. According to authorities, no one has been arrested as of Wednesday morning. A $10,000 prize for information was being offered by Crime Stoppers.

According to Kenny, three live 9 mm rounds and three discharged 9 mm bullet casings were found at the site. Along the suspect's escape path, police also discovered a smartphone. According to Kenny, police are forensically examining the gadget to see whether it is the suspect's.

In order to locate the perpetrator, police will employ every tool available to them, including drones and K-9 units, according to NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey. Manhattan residents can anticipate a more significant police presence than typical in the borough, particularly for Wednesday night's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting, Maddrey added.

Thompson served as the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the biggest health insurance company in the country. It is a part of UnitedHealth Group, a Minnetonka-based business that ranks fourth among American publicly traded companies, after Apple, Amazon, and Walmart.

In April 2021, Thompson was appointed CEO of the insurance business. He formerly oversaw UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage division, which has come under intense industry scrutiny recently due to risk adjustment payments and prior authorization denials.

Thompson is survived by his wife and two sons.