UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot and killed in New York

Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth Groupof the New York Insurance Unit, was fatally shot Wednesday morning outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan in what appeared to be “a brazen and targeted attack,” New York police said.

“I want to be clear at this point, all indications are that this was a premeditated, planned and targeted attack,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday after the shooting.

“This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” she said, adding that the department is conducting a thorough investigation.

The shooter was still at large more than 24 hours later.

Thompson, 50, led UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the United States. He was on his way to UnitedHealth Group’s investor day scheduled for 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday at the Hilton, New York police said. The company canceled that event after the shooting.

Patrol officers responded to a 911 call at 6:46 a.m. ET regarding a person shot outside the Hilton Hotel at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said during the news conference . Officers arrived at 6:48 a.m. ET and found Thompson on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his back and leg, he added.

Emergency medical services took Thompson to Roosevelt Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. ET, according to Kenny.

Thompson was staying at the Luxury Collection Hotel Manhattan Midtown, a Marriott-affiliated property on 54th Street, according to NBC News.

The shooter showed up at the scene on foot, about five minutes before Thompson arrived outside the Hilton, Kenny said. Several people passed him while he was waiting for Thompson, he added.

Before the shooting, the gunman stopped at a Starbucks downtown and purchased several items that he then threw away, including a bottle of water and two protein bars, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News. New York law enforcement informed of the investigation.

As Thompson walked alone toward the Hilton, the shooter got on the sidewalk behind a car and approached Thompson from behind, firing several bullets that hit him at least once in the back and at least once in the back. right calf, according to Kenny and security. video obtained by NBC News. After the first few shots, the gun appeared to malfunction before the attacker fired again.

After the shooting, the shooter fled on foot into an alley between 54th and 55th streets, according to Kenny. He said the shooter then headed west on Avenue of the Americas, where he got on an electric bike and headed toward Central Park.

Tisch said the attacker was last seen in Central Park on Center Drive early this morning. Kenny said the shooter wore a black mask, black and white sneakers and a “very distinctive” gray backpack. Video of the shooting showed the shooter wearing a hooded jacket.

New York police recovered three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings at the scene, Kenny said. He added that they recovered a cell phone.

No arrests have been made. The NYPD increased the reward in this case to $10,000, Tisch noted.

The shooter was described as using a gun with a silencer, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Kenny said the New York Police Department was not yet able to determine whether the shooter used a silencer. The ministry will further investigate the matter, he said.

A hot dog vendor near the Hilton who was there at 6:30 a.m. ET said he didn’t hear any shots but noticed a sudden swarm of police. A Hilton doorman who started his shift at 7 a.m. ET said everything seemed to be “pretty normal” at the hotel. Both people asked to remain anonymous.

Thompson is survived by his wife, Paulette Thompson, and their two children.

Thompson’s wife told NBC News that he had received threats. She said the New York Police Department told her it was a planned attack.

“Yes, there were threats, I don’t know, lack of media coverage? I don’t know the details,” she told NBC News. “I just know he said some people were threatening him.”

She told NBC News that Thompson has not changed any of his travel habits despite the threats.

“I can’t really give a thoughtful answer right now,” Paulette Thompson told NBC News. “I just found out about this and am trying to console my children.”

UnitedHealth Group is the largest healthcare conglomerate in the United States by revenue and market capitalization of approximately $563 billion. UnitedHealthcare reported revenue of more than $281 billion last year, more than two-thirds of UnitedHealth Group’s annual revenue for 2023.

Shares of UnitedHealth Group rose more than 1% on Wednesday.

In a statement Wednesday, UnitedHealth Group said it was “deeply saddened and shocked by the death” of Thompson. The company called him a “highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him.”

“We are working closely with the NYPD and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time,” UnitedHealth Group said. “Our thoughts are with Brian’s family and all his loved ones.”

Earlier Wednesday, the company canceled its investor event after acknowledging a “medical issue” with an employee.

“I’m concerned that we — some of you may be aware that we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” CEO Andrew Witty said during the investor day, according to a transcription. “And therefore, I’m afraid we will have to close the event today, which I’m sure you will understand.”

Thompson had been with United Health for just over 20 years, joining the company in April 2004 after spending nearly seven years at PwC, according to his LinkedIn page. He became CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021 after serving as the insurance unit’s general manager of government programs.

Thompson resided in Maple Grove, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, and was a graduate of the University of Iowa.

He had been the subject of allegations of insider trading.

In May, a Hollywood, Fla., firefighter’s pension fund sued United HealthGroup, Thompson, Witty and its executive chairman Stephen Hemsley. The suit accused executives of selling a total of $120 million worth of company stock before a U.S. Justice Department antitrust investigation became public.

The DOJ investigation was related to UnitedHealth Group’s 2021 acquisition of Change Healthcare, which processes medical claims.

The lawsuit claimed that Thompson knew of the investigation as early as October 2023 and sold $15.1 million worth of stock on February 16, less than two weeks before news of the investigation broke. public, according to the complaint.

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said in a statement Wednesday that she had been informed of the shooting and had asked state police to provide the NYPD with any assistance necessary in the investigation.

“Our hearts go out to Mr Thompson’s family and loved ones and we are committed to ensuring that the perpetrator is brought to justice,” she said.

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota called the killing “horrible news and a terrible loss for the business and health care communities” in an article published Wednesday on X.

UnitedHealth Group is still dealing with the aftermath of a February ransomware attack targeting its company, Change Healthcare, which processes medical claims. The attack compromised the protected health information of at least 100 million people.

—Ester Bloom of CNBC and David K. Li of NBC News contributed to this report.