UnitedHealth CEO Fatally Shot Outside NYC Hotel In Alleged Targeted Attack [WATCH]

Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance division, was fatally shot outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning in what authorities are calling a targeted attack.

BREAKING: The CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson has been fatally shot outside of Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan in a possible targeted attack. pic.twitter.com/QJGnIecwzm

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 4, 2024

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Thompson had arrived at the hotel at approximately 6:46 a.m. to attend UnitedHealth Group’s Investor Day conference, which was scheduled to take place there.

A masked gunman reportedly lying in wait fired multiple shots, hitting Thompson in the chest before fleeing the scene, according to police sources.

Emergency responders rushed Thompson to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition, but he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

The suspect, described as a white male wearing a cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers, and carrying a gray backpack, fled eastbound on 6th Avenue immediately after the shooting.

Witnesses reported seeing the gunman in the vicinity of the Hilton hotel prior to the attack.

Authorities believe the shooter was not a guest at the hotel, though it remains unclear if he had other business there.

After firing the shots, the assailant fled through the nearby Ziegfeld alleyway and escaped on a bicycle, police said.

No arrests had been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, confirmed that Thompson was in New York to attend the company’s annual Investor Day conference.

Following the shooting, the conference was immediately canceled.

In a statement, Witty referred to the incident as “a very serious medical situation” involving a team member. “Brian’s experience, relationships, and values made him an exceptional leader,” Witty said.

Thompson, who had been with UnitedHealth for more than 20 years, was appointed CEO of the company’s insurance division in 2021.

Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Thompson had previously served as head of the company’s government programs, overseeing Medicare and retirement initiatives.

“Brian’s leadership helped UnitedHealthcare improve how health care works for consumers, physicians, employers, governments, and other partners,” Witty said in a statement.

Thompson resided in a five-bedroom home in Minnesota, which he purchased in 2018 for $1 million, according to public records.

Before joining UnitedHealth, he worked for six years at PwC, an auditing and accounting firm in Minneapolis.

UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of Thompson’s division, is one of the largest healthcare companies in the United States, employing more than 100,000 people nationwide.

The company ranks fourth on the Fortune 500 list.

The organization has yet to respond to media inquiries about the incident.

Law enforcement is actively pursuing leads in the case and has urged anyone with information to come forward.

BREAKING: United Healthcare CEO shot and killed outside of Midtown Hilton hotel in NYC this morning in a possibly targeted attack.

CEO was shot in the chest shortly after 7am this Wednesday morning, police are searching for the suspect.

Video by @L2FTV @FreedomNTV… pic.twitter.com/08cP62X3Jm

— Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) December 4, 2024

Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the shooting, but the precision of the attack has led them to believe it was premeditated.

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