New York — In a shocking incident early Wednesday, Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel just minutes before he was due to attend his company’s annual investors’ conference. The well-planned attack ended the life of the 50-year-old executive as he made his way from his hotel across the street to the conference venue.
According to the New York Police Department, the assailant was captured on surveillance cameras loitering near the hotel moments before Thompson arrived. Police Chief Joe Kenny detailed that the suspect had positioned himself along the building line, blending in with the morning crowd. At approximately 6:44 a.m., as Thompson walked alone, the shooter approached from behind, firing multiple shots, first hitting him in the back.
The attacker continued to fire at Thompson after the initial shots, even pausing briefly to clear a jam in his weapon before resuming the attack. Within two minutes, nearby police officers responded to the scene, finding Thompson critically wounded with injuries to his back and leg.
Emergency services rushed Thompson to Mount Sinai West, formerly Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. Despite immediate medical attention, the efforts to save him were unsuccessful.
Post-incident, the gunman was seen fleeing north into an alley between 54th and 55th Streets. He then mounted an electric e-Citi bike, making his way towards Central Park. Police later found three live 9mm rounds and three spent casings at the location of the shooting.
Earlier that morning, NYPD had observed the suspect at a local Starbucks on 6th Avenue, according to sources within the law enforcement community. This sighting placed the suspect in the vicinity just a half hour before the shooting, adding a premeditated dimension to the crime.
The tragedy has sent ripples through the business and local communities, highlighting concerns about targeted violence in areas typically regarded as safe and highly surveilled. The investigation continues as detectives piece together events leading to this public and brutal act, trying to establish a motive and searching for the shooter, whose swift escape was captured partially on public and private security footage.
This devastating incident raises significant questions about security measures in busy metropolitan areas and the unpredictable nature of public violence. As the community mourns a prominent leader, law enforcement is under pressure to bring swift justice in a case that has not only ended a life but also shaken the sense of security in one of the city’s busiest districts.