Sources told USA TECHY Is on Thursday that police seem to be getting closer to identifying the man they think shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan.
Sources say that police have asked for a search warrant for a place in New York City where they think the suspect may have been staying.
The man in the mask shot Thompson several times from close range outside of a Hilton Hotel where he was attending a meeting on Wednesday morning.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the “brazen, targeted attack” was “planned ahead of time.” Police say they still do not know what caused it.
Police sources say they do not think the gunman is a professional killer. Police sources say that the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” were written on bullet casings found at the scene.
Thompson, who is 50 years old, was in New York City for the 8 a.m. UnitedHealthcare investors conference. Police sources said that a lot of people knew what his schedule was.
- This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare chief executive officer Brian Thompson.
- UnitedHealth Group via AP
Surveillance cameras caught the suspect waiting near the hotel before, during, and right after the shooting.
The shooting happened around 6:40 a.m. After the shooting, the shooter ran off on foot into an alley. Later, police sources said they found a phone that they thought belonged to the suspect.
Police place bullet casing markers outside of a Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan where United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot on Dec. 4, 2024 in New York City.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
He then rode his bike away, and at 6:48 a.m., police said they last saw him riding into Central Park.
Police say they caught the shooter on video at 5 a.m. outside of Frederick Douglass Houses, a public housing project on the Upper West Side, the morning of the shooting. That video showed the suspect carrying what looked like a battery for an e-bike.
Police have found a water bottle and a candy wrapper at the scene of the shooting that they think belong to the shooter. ABC News has been told that fingerprint and DNA tests are still being done on the items.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said in a statement that she was “shattered” by the “senseless killing.”
Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” she said. “Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.”
Police urge the public to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS with any information.
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