A person of interest has been arrested in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was brutally shot in a premeditated attack outside a Manhattan hotel this week, according to reports. The suspect was detained in Altoona, Pa., while allegedly using a fake ID, according to sources.
The arrest comes amid an extensive manhunt for the masked shooter who killed Thompson, 50, outside the Hilton on Sixth Avenue, where he was scheduled to address an investor conference on Wednesday morning. Chilling surveillance footage showed the gunman approaching Thompson from behind on the sidewalk, pulling out a handgun with a silencer and firing multiple shots into the CEO's back.
Major Breakthrough
Thompson collapsed to the ground after being struck in the back and right calf, while the shooter fled the scene on foot before grabbing an e-bike to make his escape. Emergency responders rushed Thompson to Mount Sinai Hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The brazen killing triggered an extensive manhunt and a series of peculiar leads and revelations.
Bullets recovered at the crime scene bore inscriptions reading "deny," "depose," and "defend," possibly sending a message tied to a book criticizing the health insurance industry's denial of claims.
Investigators also uncovered video footage showing the suspect smiling, as well as evidence suggesting he may have been staying at a hostel on the Upper West Side prior to the murder.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that the gunman deliberately targeted Thompson, a father of two sons.
According to Thompson's wife, he had recently received threats related to his work. The shooting took place as bystanders gathered near the hotel. "Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target," she said.
Case Remains Unsolved
It remains unclear whether anyone has claimed the $10,000 reward announced by the NYPD and CrimeStoppers. Sources told NBC that the suspect is being questioned in part due to owning a firearm resembling the one used in the Wednesday morning killing in Midtown Manhattan.
According to NBC News, Thompson's wife, Paulette "Pauley" Thompson, 51, revealed that the family had been subjected to threats linked to her husband's role as the head of the nation's largest private health insurer prior to the fatal incident.
"There had been some threats," she said, according to NBC. "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."
Thompson, who was promoted to CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021, earned close to $10 million the following year, according to the Economic Research Institute.
The shooting caused chaos at the investors' conference where Thompson was scheduled to speak, leaving attendees shaken and in tears, witnesses reported.
UnitedHealth Group issued a statement conveying its deep sorrow and disbelief over Thompson's tragic death. "Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," the statement reads.
Flags at the corporate headquarters of the company in Minnetonka, Minnesota, were lowered to half-staff on Wednesday.
