UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Manhattan
On Wednesday morning, in front of the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, the CEO of UnitedHealth, a major player in the health insurance industry, was shot. The masked assailant fled the scene on a bicycle, and the search for him is still ongoing.
12:50 PM EST, December 4, 2024
The incident occurred in the heart of Manhattan. According to witnesses, a masked man lingered near the entrance of the Hilton Hotel for several minutes. When his target appeared, he fired several shots before getting on a bicycle and riding towards Central Park.
Who is the victim? The 50-year-old Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, part of UnitedHealth Group, one of the leading companies in the health insurance sector. This company ranks fifth on the Fortune 500 list, an annual ranking of the largest American companies. UnitedHealthcare processes over 50 percent of all insurance claims in the United States, providing care for approximately 152 million patients and employing over a million people in the medical sector.
He was to participate in an investor conference
Thompson was on his way to the hotel to attend the annual UnitedHealthcare investor conference set to take place there. Sadly, he never made it. The assassin shot him multiple times in the chest.
Paramedics quickly arrived at the scene and transported Thompson to the hospital in critical condition. Unfortunately, he could not be saved.
The New York City police are not releasing much information at this time. However, officers are confident it was a targeted attack—Thompson was not a random victim. Currently, neither the motive behind the attack nor the killer's identity is known. The search for the assailant continues.
The police have released a description: the suspect is a white male wearing a cream jacket, a black mask, and black-and-white athletic shoes. He was carrying a gray backpack.
Source: cnn.com
