The circumstances surrounding UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's shooting are being investigated as a New York City hostel is now tied to the case. The incident took place on December 4, 2024, when Thompson was fatally shot outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan when he was attending an investor meeting. The event has led to a significant manhunt for the unidentified shooter, who is still on the loose. A spokesperson for HI New York Hostel has informed CBS News:
“We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, cannot comment at this time.”
Located on Amsterdam Avenue, the HI New York City hostel has emerged as the focal premise of inquiry. CCTV captured a person of interest in the hostel interacting with a female receptionist in a seemingly flirtatious manner. This interaction provided important images to investigators. Former NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller told CBS News:
“They were having a flirtatious moment and he pulls it down and he gives a big smile and that one informal moment between two human beings remains at this moment the most significant clue to date in this whole case.”
Shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO
Thompson was fired at several times by a man with a mask, who had been hiding behind a car for a few minutes before he shot him. The suspect was caught on video camera walking up to Thompson, shooting him in the back, and then escaping from the scene.
The police referred to the shooting as "premeditated," which substantiated that this was not a rabid shooting incident but a clear act aimed at Thompson in particular, NBC News reported.
According to CNN, witnesses saw the gunman fleeing towards an alleyway while police affirmed that he ran in the direction of Central Park.
Investigation progress of Brian Thompson murder case
The suspect is a white male and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and a gray backpack. He armed himself with a pistol equipped with a silencer. New York City Mayor Eric Adams told CBS News:
"In all of my years of law enforcement, I have never seen a silencer before. So that was really something that was shocking to us all".
Police officers who analyzed the video also mentioned that the shooter fired the weapon with precision, which could mean that he had some level of experience in the past, the CNN report said. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny was quoted by the news outlet stating:
“It does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly”.
On the scene, police obtained several shell casings and live rounds of ammunition, a cell phone, and a candy wrapping believed to be owned by the suspect. Police are investigating bullet shells left at the scene of the shooting that had the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” written on them. These are the tactics that health insurers allegedly use to avoid paying claims.
Police are also said to be working on a smeared-up fingerprint on the water bottle left at the scene that could have the DNA.
The man is accused of checking into the room under a fake New Jersey identification after traveling by bus to Manhattan on November 24, a senior law enforcement officer disclosed to The New York Times. It is also said that he was living on the premises for 10 days before he shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO dead.
His widow, Paulette Thompson, said in an interview with NBC that before his death, “there had been some threats” against Thompson.
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“Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know the details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information.
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