On Saturday, the New York Police Department unveiled two additional images of an individual being pursued in connection with the homicide of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The newly released images are the latest the NYPD claims depict the same person sought for questioning regarding Wednesday’s murder. In one of the images, the suspect can be […]
On Saturday, the New York Police Department unveiled two additional images of an individual being pursued in connection with the homicide of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The newly released images are the latest the NYPD claims depict the same person sought for questioning regarding Wednesday’s murder.
In one of the images, the suspect can be seen through the barrier of what appears to be a taxi in New York City, donning a blue surgical mask and a black hoodie.
The second image, captured from inside a vehicle, depicts the man outside the window walking next to the car while wearing the same blue mask and a dark puffer jacket with the hood pulled up.
The NYPD has reported that investigators have managed to trace some of his movements via taxi.
As the inquiry into Thompson’s murder along with the hunt for the gunman continued into Saturday, three insiders acquainted with the investigation informed NBC News that the identity of the person of interest remains unknown.
A total of $60,000 in reward funds is currently available from the FBI, Crime Stoppers, and the NYPD for information leading to the arrest of the shooter.
Thompson was shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on his way to UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference on Wednesday morning, according to officials.
Thompson suffered at least one gunshot wound to the back and another to his right calf. He was not accompanied by security.
“From the evidence collected, it seems the victim was deliberately targeted,” stated Joseph Kenny, NYPD chief of detectives, earlier in the week. “However, we still don’t understand the reasoning behind it.”
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch labeled it a “premeditated, well-planned targeted attack.”
Investigators reported that shell casings found at the crime scene featured the phrases “deny,” “delay,” and “depose” inscribed on them.
Authorities also discovered a gray backpack in Central Park that the person of interest allegedly had with him during the shooting. Officials were examining if this was indeed the same bag, as informed by two senior law enforcement officials to NBC News.
A smartphone was located by police near the crime site, and investigators are working to utilize it to gather more information regarding the man’s contacts and movements, according to two sources knowledgeable about the investigation.
Four sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News Saturday that no firearm was located in the backpack. Three of them mentioned that a jacket was inside the bag, but it remains uncertain if it is the same jacket worn by the gunman at the time of the incident.
Authorities think the man sought in relation to the murder may have fled the state.
Kenny informed reporters that video evidence shows the man biking in Central Park before taking a taxi to the Port Authority bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge.
Investigators are searching for further footage to ascertain if he boarded a bus from that location and, if so, which bus it was.
Police suspect that he might have arrived in New York City from Atlanta the previous month via Greyhound bus, according to three senior law enforcement officials familiar with the situation. The bus is believed to have reached New York on November 24 after making several stops along the route.
Officials in New York are investigating the possibility of obtaining a name associated with the November 24 trip, with assistance from both Atlanta police and Greyhound in the investigation.
During his stay in New York, the man reportedly resided in a hostel situated in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the NYPD disclosed at a Friday briefing. Authorities are looking into whether he paid with cash and utilized a false identification to book a room there.
Fellow hostel guests mentioned that he wore his mask at all times, even while eating, only lowering it to take bites, as noted by the NYPD.
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, expressed to NBC News on Wednesday that her husband had been receiving threats, but she was unsure about the specifics.
“There had been some threats,” she mentioned. “Essentially, I don’t know, some discontent? I lack all the details. All I do know is that he indicated there were individuals who had been threatening him.”
Minyvonne Burke, Phil Helsel, Jonathan Dienst and Tim Stelloh contributed.
