UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel Wednesday morning, sparking a search for his killer and an outpouring of condolences.

New York police say the suspect shot Thompson in the chest in a “brazen, targeted attack” at 6:46 a.m. ET outside New York’s Hilton Midtown Hotel – just before the annual investor conference for UnitedHealthcare’s parent company was set to begin.

Thompson, 50, lived in Minnesota but visited New York City for the conference, which has since been canceled. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

Within hours, a manhunt for the shooter was underway and tributes to Thompson were circulating online.

“Brian was a valued colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group said said in a statementand added that it was working closely with the NYPD. “Our thoughts are with Brian’s family and everyone who was close to him.”

He has been CEO since 2021

UnitedHealthcare is the health insurance business of UnitedHealth Group, the country’s largest private health insurer.

The Minnesota based company is 4th place is one of the Fortune 500 and employs around 440,000 people worldwide. In fact, UnitedHealth Group is so dominant that the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit civil antitrust lawsuit just last month to try to block its planned $3.3 billion takeover of rival home care and hospice agencies.

Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021.

“Brian’s experience, relationships and values ​​make him uniquely suited to help UnitedHealthcare improve healthcare for consumers, physicians, employers, governments and our other partners, resulting in continued and sustainable long-term growth,” said Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, said in a press release at the time.

According to him, Thompson has previously held various leadership positions – most recently as CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s government programs business, including Medicare – since joining UnitedHealth Group in 2004 LinkedIn profile.

Previously, he worked as an auditor at the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC for more than half a decade.

According to LinkedIn, Thompson graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a degree in business administration and accounting.

He is the father of two children

According to media reports, Thompson leaves behind his wife and two children.

Thompson’s sister-in-law Elena Reveiz said New York Times that he was a good father.

“He was a good person and I’m so sad,” she said.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told the story NBC News that he had received threats.

“Basically, I don’t know, a lack of reporting? I don’t know any details, I just know that he said there were some people who threatened him,” she said, adding that she couldn’t give a more thoughtful answer because she was trying to comfort her children.

NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a midday news conference that while the motive for the shooting remained unclear, the preliminary investigation suggested it was a “premeditated, pre-planned targeted attack.”

She said the suspect, who was wearing dark clothing and a mask, “lay in wait for a few minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and firing several shots.

Colleagues and officials pay tribute

Several of Thompson’s former colleagues shared their memories of him Minnesota Star Tribune on Wednesday, remembering him as a hard worker and good person.

John Penshorn, a former UnitedHealth Group executive who worked with Thompson for more than a decade before his retirement in 2019, described him as “humble, a servant leader and a family man.”

“He was just an incredible guy — kind, resourceful,” said Steve Parente, a former Trump administration health official who said he worked with Thompson early in the COVID-19 pandemic to manage the system for distributing federal financial aid Implement healthcare providers. “This is just a total tragedy.”

On Wednesday, elected officials from Thompson’s home state of Minnesota — where UnitedHealthcare is a major employer — also paid their respects, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

“This is terrible news and a terrible loss for Minnesota’s economy and health care system,” Walz wrote.