Suspect in UnitedHealth shooting thought to have left New York

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A man suspected of killing a top UnitedHealth executive in midtown Manhattan earlier this week is thought to have left the city, as investigators’ rush to find him continues into its third day.

The manhunt comes after Brian Thompson, who led UnitedHealth’s vast insurance unit, was fatally shot outside a hotel in one of Manhattan’s busiest districts by a masked culprit who fled on an e-bike.

The killing of the executive at dawn on his way to an investor event has set off a nationwide investigation and jolted companies to bolster security measures for high-ranking executives.

Investigators believe the suspect, who is yet to be named, has left New York, Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York Police Department, told CNN.

Joseph Kenny, the chief of detectives, also told CNN that the suspect was last spotted at an interstate bus station in uptown Manhattan, and may have boarded a bus to leave the city.

Meanwhile, UnitedHealth has told staff that it is working with local law enforcement to bolster security at its corporate headquarters in Minnesota, as well as other sites. Other companies on both sides of the Atlantic have similarly rushed in recent days to shore up their security measures.

UnitedHealth, alongside other big healthcare companies Humana and CVS Health, have scrubbed photos of their management and board members from their websites.

NYPD detectives had recovered DNA from a water bottle left at the scene of the crime, which unfolded in a part of Manhattan that is frequented by businesspeople and tourists, according to a person with direct knowledge of the investigation.

The suspect is understood to have travelled from Atlanta to New York by Greyhound bus on November 24, before checking into a hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where officers were present on Thursday.

The Atlanta Police Department said on Friday that it was contacted by the NYPD “and will now be providing assistance as needed”. The NYPD was still the lead agency on the investigation, the APD added.

Thompson, who had served as the chief executive of UnitedHealth’s insurance unit since 2021 and had been with the company for two decades, was shot three times from behind at about 6.45am on Wednesday. It emerged on Thursday that detectives had found inscriptions on the bullet casings that read “deny”, “defend” and “depose” — a possible nod to a 2010 book on insurers rejecting claims.

UnitedHealth is America’s fourth-biggest US company by revenue, and its healthcare and insurance divisions serve tens of millions of Americans.

UnitedHealth said in a statement late on Thursday: “Our priorities are, first and foremost, supporting Brian’s family; ensuring the safety of our employees; and working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator to justice.”