New Delhi:

The CEO of US-based UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was shot dead outside a New York hotel on Wednesday. Mr. Thompson, 50, was on his way to New York’s Hilton Midtown where he was scheduled to give a keynote speech at an investor conference when he was ambushed. Surveillance footage showed the suspect — a white male wearing a hooded jacket, black face mask and sneakers — approaching Thompson from behind.

According to the NYPD, the gunman fired several shots from a semi-automatic handgun equipped with a silencer in the busy Midtown Manhattan neighborhood.

NYC has some of the strictest gun laws. But that doesn’t prevent the execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by a gunman using a gun with a silencer attached.
It appears that sweeping gun laws aren’t working.
Murderers don’t care about laws.
Imagine that. pic.twitter.com/qhcP7Ty6lP

— Chris Randolph (@TrumpAF2024) December 4, 2024

The first shots hit Mr. Thompson in the back and leg, causing him to stagger and fall against a wall. Although the gun jammed three times, the shooter cleared the gun and continued firing. After ensuring that Mr. Thompson was incapacitated, the attacker calmly walked away and later fled the scene on an electric bicycle toward Central Park.

When officers responded to a 911 call, they found Mr. Thompson on the sidewalk with serious gunshot wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Surveillance footage showed the suspect had been near the crime scene for several minutes before the attack, mingling with morning commuters. Earlier, at 6:17 a.m., cameras captured the shooter at a nearby Starbucks, where he purchased water and energy bars while wearing a surgical mask.

According to CNN, police recovered a water bottle and a phone in an alley near the shooting scene, believed to have been discarded by the suspect. Investigators analyze the phone for possible fingerprints, DNA or communication records that could reveal the killer’s identity.

UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, issued a heartfelt statement mourning the loss of Mr. Thompson:

“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement.

Mr. Thompson’s wife, Paulette, described the attack as “senseless” and mentioned that her husband had received threats in the past, CNN reported.

The NYPD has released images of the suspect and is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. The attacker is described as a white male in his 30s or 40s, wearing a gray backpack, black and white sneakers and a hooded jacket.