UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday in what police said was a “brazen, targeted” attack as he walked alone from a nearby hotel to the Hilton, where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference held off. said the police.

The gunman appeared to “lie in wait for several minutes” before approaching the executive from behind and opening fire, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. He used a 9mm pistol, which police said was similar to the weapons farmers use to kill animals without making a loud noise.

In the days following the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of nine photos and videos – including footage of the attack as well as images of the suspect at a Starbucks earlier.

On Monday, police praised news outlets for circulating the images and the tipster for identifying the suspect and calling authorities.

“Fortunately, a citizen in Pennsylvania recognized the issue and called local members of the Altoona Police Department, who responded to the call and based on their investigation notified the NYPD,” Kenny said.

Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the suspect grinning after removing his mask, police said.

Investigators had previously suspected that the shooter may have been a disgruntled employee or customer of the insurer. Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “denial” and “dumping,” mimicking a phrase used by critics of the insurance industry.

The gunman hid his identity with a mask during the shooting, but left behind a trail of evidence, including a backpack he discarded in Central Park, a cellphone found in a pedestrian mall, and a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that he had stolen According to police, he had purchased at Starbucks before the attack.

On Friday, police found the backpack the killer allegedly threw away as he fled the crime scene to a downtown bus station, where he is believed to have left the city by bus.

Investigators used surveillance video to trace the shooter’s steps and said the shooter fled into Central Park on a bicycle, left the park without a backpack and then abandoned the bike.

He then walked a few blocks, got into a taxi and arrived at the George Washington Bridge bus station, which is near the northern tip of Manhattan and provides commuter service to New Jersey and Greyhound routes to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, Kenny said.

The FBI announced late Friday that it is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, in addition to the NYPD’s reward of up to $10,000.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Scolforo, Mike Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report.