New York police suggest the man who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday could be a disgruntled client or employee.
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The masked suspect’s hostel was not far from where he killed Thompson, 50, who was attending a company investor conference.
READ: NYC CEO Shooting Suspect Possibly Left the City, Police Say
The killer reportedly used a fake identification card at the hostel and paid in cash, presumably to conceal his identity. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said they believe he left the city after Wednesday’s slaying.
The suspected gunman was filmed at a nearby Starbucks 20 minutes before Thompson was fatally shot near the Hilton hotel in Manhattan. Police said the shooting “does not appear to be a random act of violence; all indications are that it was a premeditated, targeted attack.”
Thompson had left his hotel — across the street from the Hilton, where the conference was being held — alone and without any security detail. Reports indicated that UnitedHealthcare, the largest health care insurer in the world, was aware of threats made before Wednesday’s shooting. While the threats did not mention names, they reportedly suggested that high-ranking officials would be targeted.
The suspect fled the scene on foot and then on a bicycle. Sources told CNN that the suspect — who is believed to be an experienced marksman — left behind a live round and shell casing with the words “delay” and “depose” on them.
The medical examiner is reportedly analyzing a water bottle with a smudged fingerprint on it and a cell phone that possibly has trace skin cell or touch DNA. Both items were left at or near the crime scene.
A motive remains undisclosed. The NYPD is offering up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case.
[Feature Photo: NYPD]
