UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot in New York
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare
Courtesy: UnitedHealth Group
Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth GroupThe New York Police Department's Insurance Division was fatally shot Wednesday morning outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan in what appeared to be a “brazen, targeted attack,” the New York Police Department said.
“I want to make it clear at this time that everything indicates that this was a premeditated, planned and targeted attack,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference Wednesday after the shooting.
“This does not appear to be a random act of violence,” she said, adding that the department is conducting a comprehensive investigation.
Thompson, 50, ran UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the United States. He was on his way to UnitedHealth Group's investor day, scheduled for 8 a.m. ET Wednesday at the Hilton, the NYPD said. The company canceled the event after the shooting.
Patrol officers responded at 6:46 a.m. ET to a 911 call about a person shot outside the Hilton Hotel at 1335 Avenue of the Americas, NYPD Chief Detective Joseph Kenny said during the news conference. When officers arrived at 6:48 a.m. ET, they found Thompson on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his back and leg, he added.
A Crime Scene Unit officer photographs the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was shot as he entered the New York Hilton early on December 4, 2024 in New York.
Bryan R. Smith | Afp | Getty Images
According to Kenny, emergency responders took Thompson to Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m. ET.
According to NBC News, Thompson had been staying at the Luxury Collection Hotel Manhattan Midtown, a Marriott-affiliated hotel on 54th Street.
The shooter showed up on foot about five minutes before Thompson arrived at the Hilton, Kenny said. While he waited for Thompson, several people walked past him, he added.
As Thompson walked alone toward the Hilton, the gunman stepped onto the sidewalk behind a car, approached Thompson from behind and fired several shots, hitting him at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf, according to Kenny and security video obtained from NBC News. After the first shots, the weapon appeared to malfunction before the attacker fired again.
Stills from surveillance cameras showing the gunman reportedly involved in the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan are shown on the day of the NYPD press conference in New York City, U.S., December 4, 2024.
Mike Fresh | Reuters
According to Kenny, after the shooting, the gunman fled on foot into an alley between 54th and 55th streets. He said the shooter then walked west on Avenue of the Americas, where he got on an e-bike and headed toward Central Park.
Tisch said the attacker was last seen this morning in Central Park on Center Drive. Kenny said the shooter was wearing a black face mask, black and white sneakers and carrying a “very distinctive” gray backpack. Video of the shooting showed the shooter wearing a hooded jacket.
The NYPD recovered three live 9mm cartridges and three fired 9mm shell casings from the scene, Kenny said. He added that they had recovered a mobile phone.
There were no arrests. The NYPD has increased the reward in the case to $10,000, Tisch noted.
The shooter was described as using a firearm with a silencer, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.
Kenny said the NYPD has not yet determined whether the shooter used a silencer. The department will continue to investigate, he said.
The shooter was reportedly involved in the December 4, 2024, assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan.
Source: NYPD
A hot dog vendor near the Hilton who was present at 6:30 a.m. ET said he didn't hear any shots but noticed a sudden swarm of police. A Hilton doorman who started his shift at 7 a.m. ET said everything seemed “pretty normal” at the hotel. Both people asked not to be named.
Thompson is survived by his wife, Paulette Thompson, and their two children.
Thompson's wife told NBC News that he had received threats. She said the NYPD told her it was a planned attack.
“Yes, there were some threats, basically I don’t know, lack of reporting? I don’t know any details,” she told NBC News. “All I know is that he said there were some people who threatened him.”
She told NBC News that despite the threats, Thompson hasn't changed any of his travel habits.
“I can't really give a thoughtful answer right now,” Paulette Thompson told NBC News. “I just found this out and I’m trying to comfort my kids.”
The scene outside the Hilton Hotel in New York City after a shooting that killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024.
Ester Bloom | CNBC
The UnitedHealth Group is the largest healthcare group in the United States in terms of sales and a market capitalization of around $563 billion. UnitedHealthcare generated more than $281 billion in revenue last year, accounting for more than two-thirds of UnitedHealth Group's 2023 annual revenue.
Shares of UnitedHealth Group rose more than 1% on Wednesday.
In a statement Wednesday, UnitedHealth Group said it was “deeply saddened and shocked by the death” of Thompson. The company described him as a “highly valued colleague and friend to all who have worked with him.”
“We are working closely with the NYPD and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time,” UnitedHealth Group said. “Our thoughts are with Brian’s family and everyone who was close to him.”
Police officers stand near the site where United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was reportedly shot dead in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, USA, on December 4, 2024.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
The company canceled its investor event early Wednesday when it discovered an employee had a “medical situation.”
“I am concerned that we are — some of you may know that we are dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” Chief Executive Andrew Witty said during the investor day, according to a transcript. “For this reason, I am afraid that we will have to end the event today, as I am sure you will understand.”
According to his LinkedIn page, Thompson worked for United Health for just over 20 years, joining the company in April 2004 after spending nearly seven years at PwC. He joined UnitedHealthcare as CEO in April 2021 after serving as a top executive for the insurance unit's government programs.
Thompson lived in Maple Grove, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, and graduated at the top of his class from the University of Iowa.
MF flags fly at half-mast in front of United Healthcare's corporate headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, on December 4, 2024. United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead on a New York City street before he was scheduled to attend the company's annual investor meeting.
Stephen Maturen | Getty Images News | Getty Images
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Wednesday that she had been informed of the shooting and had directed state police to provide the NYPD with any necessary assistance in the investigation.
“Our thoughts are with Mr. Thompson’s family and loved ones and we are committed to ensuring that the perpetrator is brought to justice,” she said.
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota called the killing “terrible news and a terrible loss for the economy and health care” in a post on X Wednesday.
UnitedHealth Group is still dealing with the fallout from a February ransomware attack on its medical claims processing company Change Healthcare. The attack compromised the protected health information of at least 100 million people.
—Ester Bloom of CNBC and David K. Li of NBC News contributed to this report.
