Search continues for CEO's shooter in New York

HARTFORD -- The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words "deny," "defend" and "depose," a law enforcement official said Thursday.

The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

The manhunt for the shooter of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, remained ongoing as of Thursday afternoon. Thompson was killed Wednesday morning in a suspected targeted shooting outside the hotel in Manhattan where the health insurer was holding its annual investor conference.

The dawn ambush occurred as Thompson walked to the company's annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in Midtown, blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art. The reason behind the killing remained unknown.

The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies insurance companies allegedly use to try to avoid paying claims.

The shooter appeared to be "lying in wait for several minutes" before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police have not yet established a motive.

The shooter, who police said appeared to be a man wearing a jacket, face mask and carrying a backpack, fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away. The suspect remained at large Thursday afternoon, despite a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs.

The hunt for the shooter brought New York City police Thursday morning to at least two hostels on Manhattan's Upper West Side, based on a tip that the suspected shooter may have stayed at one of the residences, according to a second law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing search.

Two detectives arrived at the Kama Central Park hostel with a photo of the shooter and asked staff if they recognized the man, an employee confirmed to the AP. They did not, the employee said, and the detectives left. An employee at the nearby HI New York City hostel also confirmed that police had visited the location Thursday, but declined to provide further information.

Also Thursday, police released photos of a person they said was wanted for question in connection with Thompson's shooting.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday that while investigators had not yet established a motive, the shooting was no random act of violence. "Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target," she said.

Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows the shooter emerging from behind a parked car, stopping and pointing a gun at Thompson's back, holding it with two hands and firing multiple times from several feet away. The suspect continues firing, interrupted by a brief gun jam, as Thompson stumbles forward and falls to the sidewalk. The shooter is then seen walking past Thompson and out of the frame.

"We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare," officials at UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, said in a written statement. "Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian's family and all who were close to him."

Thompson had served in his current position since 2021 and had worked at UnitedHealth Group since 2004, according to his LinkedIn profile. The profile also indicates that he was based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, the headquarters location of UnitedHealth Group. In this year's Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations, UnitedHealth Group ranks No. 4.

The company's shares closed Wednesday at about $611, up around 1 percent from their closing total on Tuesday.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S., and it manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-funded and federally funded Medicaid programs.

Within Connecticut, UnitedHealthcare serves more than 608,000 members, operates with more than 6,400 employees and works with a network of more than 26,600 providers, according to the company's website. In Hartford, UnitedHealthcare has offices in the 38-story CityPlace I, which is the city's tallest building. Signage with the company's name is installed on the top of the tower.

Among insurance providers, only CVS Health, which includes health insurer Aetna, and property-and-casualty insurer Travelers have more employees based in Connecticut, according to the Connecticut Insurance Capital's 2024 Insights report, which was produced by Conning, an investment-management firm that serves the insurance industry, and Connecticut Insurance + Financial Services, which is an initiative of the MetroHartford Alliance.

"On behalf of the Connecticut Insurance Department, I extend my deepest sympathies to the Thompson family and the entire UnitedHealthcare team, an important part of the Connecticut and Hartford community," Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew Mais said in a statement.

Thompson was also known by some of the leading figures in Connecticut's health care industry. The Yale New Haven Health system's CEO, Christopher O'Connor, said that he met with Thompson several weeks ago via Zoom, after being introduced by one of the system's insurance administrators.

"I had a lovely conversation, and just feel awful for him and his family," O'Connor said Wednesday afternoon at an event for the new Adams Neurosciences Center at Yale New Haven Hospital's Saint Raphael Campus.

In response to the shooting, Yale New Haven Health officials discussed security measures, and "safety is something we're always monitoring," O'Connor added.

Liese Klein contributed reporting to this article. This article also contains reporting from The Associated Press.