A reward sum of $10,000 has been established for any leads that may result in the apprehension of the individual who shot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson. The authorities in New York City have indicated that the suspect may have already vacated the city. Joseph Kenny, the NYPD Chief of Detectives, disclosed in a conversation that surveillance footage had captured the suspect at a bus terminal, leading to this conclusion. He noted, ‘Considering it was an interstate bus station, it’s plausible the suspect is no longer within New York City.’
A bag, which officials strongly suspect was in the possession of the shooter, was located on Friday. The evidence was discovered in Central Park, a location which the same surveillance video shows the suspect cycling into shortly following the incident. To avoid possible contamination, the bag was carefully removed with an excavatorial device. The officials have yet to reveal the contents—if anything—of the bag in question.
Surveillance footage also recorded the suspect making a stop at a local Starbucks just moments before the assault in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday. In the video, the suspect is seen purchasing a water bottle and a protein bar—an observation that might present vital clues concerning their identity. Reportedly, these discarded items were retrieved from a waste bin and provided to the city’s medical examiner to undergo fingerprint analysis.
The law enforcement authorities have been actively executing searches in at least two hostels within New York City following a tip-off suggesting the attacker of Brian Thompson may have resided in one of them. An official from one such hostel confirmed their full collaboration with the ongoing investigations. Subsequently, on Thursday, the NYPD released an image of a potential suspect, derived from the ongoing investigations.
However, the identity of the individual featured in the released image, who can be seen smiling at a hostel, as the attacker is yet to be confirmed by the authorities. As per a source within law enforcement, this individual lowered his mask to reveal a smile, presumably while engaging in a conversation with the hostel’s front desk receptionist. The full connection of this incident to the tragic event of Thompson’s death remains unclear.
Brian Thompson, the deceased, was assaulted on Wednesday morning while he was heading from his hotel to attend a conference with investors at the New York Hilton Midtown, according to police reports. Video footage from surveillance systems captured the lurking gunman, outfitted in a coat and mask, approaching Thompson from behind and subsequently firing shots into his back before making an escape.
With the investigation still in progress, the motive behind this harrowing crime has yet to be established. A source from law enforcement has stated that shell cases found at the crime scene were marked with the words ‘deny,’ ‘defend,’ and ‘depose’, but the relevance of these markings is not yet understood. To aid in the ongoing investigations and prompt public cooperation, the law enforcement authority has publicized a $10,000 reward for any information that could lead to the capture of the gunman.