The wife of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson said her husband received threats before being slain outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning.
“There had been some threats,” Paulette Thompson told NBC News.
“I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him,” she told the outlet.
“I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children,” she added.
WATCH:
JUST IN: The wife of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson says he had received threats leading up to the sh**ting in Manhattan.
New developments reveal that the suspect had a silencer and escaped through Central Park.
“There had been some threats,” Paulette Thompson said.
When… pic.twitter.com/7JRoWqUFpy
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 4, 2024
Per NBC News:
She said police had told her it appeared the shooting was “a planned attack.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe shooter fled the scene on foot and then on a New York Citi Bike, Tisch said. He was last seen in Central Park. As of Wednesday morning, no arrests had been made, police said. Crime Stoppers was offering a $10,000 reward for information.
Police said the suspect was wearing a black hoodie and black pants and was carrying a gray backpack. It’s believed the suspect used a firearm with a silencer, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.
A food cart vendor near the scene told NBC News that he did not hear any gunshots but saw police vehicles and two helicopters in the area.
Surveillance photos show suspect in fatal Midtown shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson https://t.co/mWQJgx0Cje pic.twitter.com/gqYdacOuZG
— New York Post (@nypost) December 4, 2024
“UnitedHealthGroup was scheduled to start its annual Investor Conference at 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to the company,” News 8 reported, Collin Rugg noted.
WATCH:
NEW: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot and k*lled in Manhattan by a man in a black mask.
The 50-year-old CEO was outside of the Hilton hotel when a man came up to him and shot him in the chest.
The masked man, who had a grey backpack on, then fled into a nearby… pic.twitter.com/umBPdGby17
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 4, 2024
Officials released video footage of the shooting Wednesday morning.
GRAPHIC: Surveillance Footage Released Of Suspect Shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO
From People:
An NYPD spokesperson told PEOPLE that police responded to a call at about 6:40 a.m. outside 1335 Sixth Avenue, the address of the New York Hilton Midtown. A 50-year-old man was shot in the chest, police said, and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
UnitedHealth confirmed that Thompson was the victim.
The NYPD says they are still searching for the masked shooter, who the department says fled north on Sixth Avenue on an electric Citibike.
Thompson joined UnitedHealth Group in 2004, according to his company bio.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare," the company said in a statement. "Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
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