NYC Gunman Remains At Large

The story begins with a killer waiting outside the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning where UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investors day, and within an hour it would be filled with Wall Street analysts and stockholders.

Brian Thompson

Despite the cold and the people passing by, he remains focused on his target. At 6:44 a.m., he spots Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, walking towards the hotel entrance in a blue suit. The killer's mission is clear, and the tension builds as he prepares to act.

The killer popped out from behind a car and raised a pistol fitted with a long silencer. What followed was what the police would call a bold assassination, which shook the insurance industry and sent a jolt through an area packed with holiday tourists.

By nightfall, a sprawling manhunt with police officers, dogs and drones spread citywide, bearing down on surveillance videos, a dropped cellphone and even Citi Bike data in search of the killer.

The NY Times reports the police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, who was sworn in 10 days ago, called it a “brazen targeted attack,” adding, “We will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case.”

The killer wore a dark hooded jacket and a gray backpack, pictures released by the police show, with his face covered to his nose. He apparently knew which door Thompson was going to enter and arrived outside the hotel about five minutes earlier.

Surveillance video shows Mr. Thompson’s arrival. The shooter, seen from behind, walks up and fires at least three times, striking Mr. Thompson in the calf and in his back.

The victim manages a couple of steps and turns to face his attacker before collapsing on the sidewalk. The shooter’s pistol jammed during the shooting, but the gunman quickly cleared the jam and resumed firing, the police said.

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

Thompson’s wife told NBC News that he had been receiving threats. She said the NYPD told her it was a planned attack.

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

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