Two detectives arrived at the Kama Central Park hostel with a photo of the shooter and asked staff if they recognised the man, an employee confirmed to the AP. They did not, the employee said, and the detectives left. An employee at the nearby HI New York City hostel also confirmed that police had visited the location Thursday, but declined to provide further information.
Also Thursday, police released photos of a person they said was wanted for question in connection with Thompson’s shooting.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday that while investigators had not yet established a motive, the shooting was no random act of violence. “Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” she said.
Investigators believe, judging from surveillance video and evidence collected from the scene, that the shooter had at least some prior firearms training and experience with guns and the weapon was equipped with a silencer, said one of the law enforcement officials who spoke with the AP.
Investigators are also looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan, the official said. The shooter fled on a bike and he was last seen riding into Central Park.
Authorities were running DNA and fingerprint analysis on items found nearby, including a water bottle, that they believe the suspect may have discarded, the official said.
Security camera video showed the killer approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a gun jam while the health executive tumbled to the pavement.
Brian Thompson’s business generated $US281 billion ($437 billion) in revenue last year. Credit: AP
Other cameras captured the initial stages of the gunman’s escape. He fled the block across a pedestrian plaza, then escaped on the bicycle. Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search, but the killer’s whereabouts remained unknown.
Police issued several surveillance images of the man, who wore a hooded jacket and a mask that concealed most of his face and wouldn’t have attracted attention on a frigid day. Some of the photos were taken at a Starbucks coffee shop shortly before the shooting. Police offered a reward of up to $US10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years.
The insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., was holding its annual meeting with investors in New York to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson’s death.
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“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
In Maple Grove, Minnesota, where Thompson lived, police administrator Theresa Keehn told Reuters there were no reports of threats to Thompson, but there was one reported incident of “suspicious activity” at his home in June 2018.
Paulette Thompson was getting ready for bed when she reported seeing the deadbolt turning on their front door, the police report said. She hid in the bathroom “terrified”, but police found no sign of an attempted break-in and no one on the property.
Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.
