The man wanted for fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown on Wednesday morning was seen inside a nearby Starbucks shortly before the attack, according to police. The NYPD shared a new image of the suspect on Wednesday.
In the photo, the suspect is seen wearing a hood at the Starbucks located at W. 56th Street and 6th Avenue, just 175 meters away from the Hilton hotel where the 50-year-old Thompson was shot. Around 6:30 a.m., the suspect was seen appearing to make a phone call while walking along the sidewalk. It remains unclear how long the unidentified gunman stayed at the Starbucks or whether he made any purchases.
Chilling Photo of Assailant
By 6:45 a.m., surveillance footage obtained by DailyMail.com captured Thompson, a father of two, walking past the Hilton when the gunman pulled out a large firearm fitted with a silencer and shot him in the back.
Thompson, at first, managed to stagger down the street, but the gunman followed him, firing more shots that struck him in the chest and calf as he collapsed. The shooter then fled the scene on a bicycle.
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.
