The New York police are looking for the killer of the chief insurance executive

This handout image released by the New York Police Department (NYPD) via X (formerly Twitter) on December 5, 2024 shows a person wanted in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. On December 4, a masked gunman shot and killed US Health Insurance CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York hotel, apparently on purpose. Police said Thompson was shot as he prepared to address investors, with the gunman firing multiple shots before using a rental bicycle to flee in the direction of Central Park. (Photo: NYPD / AFP) / EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY UKRAINIAN “AFP PHOTO / NYPD” – NO MARKETING – NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS

NEW YORK, United States (AFP). New York City police on Thursday searched the city for a masked gunman who shot a top health insurance executive at close range in a brazen daylight killing outside a Manhattan hotel.

In a killing carried out in front of bystanders and seen by millions on television replays of security camera footage, the killer used a gun to kill Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies.

Thompson was attending an investor conference in the Midtown business district.

Police have not yet released a motive or confirmed a New York Times report that the words “delay” and “deny” — often used by insurance companies to deny claims — were written on shell casings found at the scene.

The video shows Thompson on the sidewalk outside New York’s Hilton Midtown when an unidentified hooded suspect approaches from behind with a gun and fires several shots at his 50-year-old victim, who falls to the ground.

Dashcam footage shows the suspect fleeing on foot before getting on a bicycle, which police initially said may have been a rented e-bike. Police said he left in the direction of Central Park.

“All indications are that this was a deliberate, premeditated, targeted attack,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a briefing Wednesday.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenney would not confirm reports that a silencer was used on the gun, saying that would be part of the investigation, but he did confirm that a cell phone was found at the scene.

The lack of an arrest has led to widespread speculation that the attacker may have retaliated against adverse health coverage decisions made by the insurer.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, who lives in Minnesota, told NBC News that he had received unknown threats.

“There were some threats, I don’t know, (due to) lack of coverage? I don’t know the details,” said Paulette Thompson, who had two children with her late husband.

In a statement, UnitedHealth Group — UHC’s parent company — said it was “deeply saddened and shocked.”

UnitedHealthcare is a major player in the lucrative U.S. health care market, providing workplace insurance and managing massive publicly funded health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid for the elderly and low-income people.

Police remained at the scene of the murder and combed Manhattan’s iconic Central Park with the help of dogs and drones.

“We have a large detective agency. At any given hour, multiple detectives may be working on (the investigation),” an NYPD spokesman said.

“We’re going to use all of our assets that we have.”

A spokesman said no further briefing was planned.

UnitedHealth Group’s revenue in the third quarter of the year was $100.8 billion.

Thompson’s own compensation package in 2023 was $10.2 million, according to regulatory filings.

He has been UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive since April 2021, according to a separate filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Prior to that, he managed UnitedHealthcare’s government programs, including Medicare, from July 2019 to April 2021.