A disturbing video has emerged that captures the moment a gunman calmly shoots UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at close range on a Midtown Manhattan street. The video shows the unidentified shooter in a black hoodie, black pants, gloves, and a gray backpack, calmly firing a single-action handgun, pulling back the slide after each shot.
The deadly shooting took place around 6:45am on Wednesday outside the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan and the alleged killer used a large gun fitted with a silencer. After the first shot, which appears to strike him in the back, Thompson stumbles backward, briefly trying to turn to face the gunman before collapsing again onto the sidewalk.
Multiple Shots Fired
The assailant followed him, continuing to shoot at Thompson as he lay on the ground, hitting him in the chest and calf before fleeing the scene on a bicycle, prompting a large-scale city-wide manhunt.
A bystander standing on the sidewalk between the shooter and Thompson quickly breaks into a run and disappears from view as soon as they realize what is happening.
A police source told The New York Post that it appeared the gunman's weapon jammed at one point during the shooting. The assailant had to adjust the firearm to clear the jam before continuing to shoot, indicating that the attacker may have some experience with firearms.
Police said that the suspect escaped into Central Park, prompting an extensive city-wide manhunt to locate him.
Thompson was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital nearby, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities do not believe the shooting was a random act of violence, suggesting that the gunman had been watching the hotel, knowing Thompson was scheduled to speak at an investors' conference for UnitedHealth Group later that day.
Thompson's wife, Paulette, revealed that he had been receiving "some threats" prior to his visit to New York. "Basically, I don't know, a lack of coverage? I don't know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him," she told NBC News.
"Every indication shows that this is a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters.
Pre-Planned Murder
The incident comes amid an ongoing Department of Justice investigation into Thompson for alleged antitrust violations and accusations of insider trading.
The shooting took place just hours before crowds were set to gather in Midtown for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center.
Witness Amar Abdelmula, a driver, told Pix11: "I wasn't paying attention and then I heard the shot. It was silent gun, black gun, saw him after he shot him and was running across the street. I tried take a picture, but too far away, not clear.
"I was shocked. First time I see crime in front of me," he added. "I was afraid he (would) shoot me too, my car, I saw everything."
A huge police presence quickly arrived at the scene near W. 54th Street and 6th Avenue on Wednesday morning. The NYPD has yet to reveal a motive for the attack.
United, the largest health insurer in the United States by market share, has often faced protests from activists accusing the company of systematically denying care to patients.
In February, the company drew attention after falling victim to a cyberattack, resulting in losses amounting to $872 million.
