Gunman Who Fatally Shot UnitedHealth CEO Pictured Fleeing on Bike in Midtown Manhattan: Police

Mar. 15, 2025

The gunmanwho fatally shotUnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompsonin midtown Manhattan waited for him for hours — then fled on a bicycle, according to police.Thompson, 50, was fatally shot as he approached the Hilton Hotel in midtown, police said.He arrived early to prepare for a conference at the hotel,The New York Timesreports.The gunman apparently knew which door Thompson was going to enter and was just feet away from Thompson when he shot him several times, then fled on a bicycle, police said, theTimesreports.“Witnesses that spoke with FOX 5 NY said it appeared the suspect had been waiting for hours, even overnight, outside the hotel,“FOX 5 NYreported.The suspect, who was wearing a backpack, is described as a 6-feet-tall man with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a cream-colored jacket with black gloves and a black mask. He fled north on Sixth Avenue following the shooting, an NYPD spokesperson tells PEOPLE.(L) Surveillance footage captured the suspect; (R) Brian Thompson.NYPD CrimeStoppers; UnitedHealth GroupPolice tell PEOPLE that officers responded to a call at about 6:40 a.m. in front of 1335 Sixth Avenue, the address for the New York Hilton Midtown, where they found a 50-year-old man who’d been shot in the chest. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.The spokesman said the victim’s name is being withheld publicly pending family notification, but UnitedHealth Group confirmed Thompson as the victim.According to his bio on the company’s website, Thompson was named CEO in April 2021. Prior to that, he was CEO of the company’s government programs, including its medicare program.He joined the company in 2004, according to his bio.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Lorie Burleson, Provider Advocate Account Manager at UnitedHealthCare, issued a statement on LinkedIn about the fatal shooting.“This morning, we learned of the devastating loss of our CEO, Brian Thompson, who was tragically taken from us,” she wrote. “This is an unimaginable loss forUnitedHealth Groupand for everyone who knew him.“To my UHC family, my heart is with each of you during this incredibly difficult time. Let us come together to honor Brian’s legacy and support one another as we navigate this tragedy.”

The gunmanwho fatally shotUnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompsonin midtown Manhattan waited for him for hours — then fled on a bicycle, according to police.

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot as he approached the Hilton Hotel in midtown, police said.

He arrived early to prepare for a conference at the hotel,The New York Timesreports.

The gunman apparently knew which door Thompson was going to enter and was just feet away from Thompson when he shot him several times, then fled on a bicycle, police said, theTimesreports.

“Witnesses that spoke with FOX 5 NY said it appeared the suspect had been waiting for hours, even overnight, outside the hotel,“FOX 5 NYreported.

The suspect, who was wearing a backpack, is described as a 6-feet-tall man with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a cream-colored jacket with black gloves and a black mask. He fled north on Sixth Avenue following the shooting, an NYPD spokesperson tells PEOPLE.

(L) Surveillance footage captured the suspect; (R) Brian Thompson.NYPD CrimeStoppers; UnitedHealth Group

NYPD CrimeStoppers; UnitedHealth Group

Police tell PEOPLE that officers responded to a call at about 6:40 a.m. in front of 1335 Sixth Avenue, the address for the New York Hilton Midtown, where they found a 50-year-old man who’d been shot in the chest. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

The spokesman said the victim’s name is being withheld publicly pending family notification, but UnitedHealth Group confirmed Thompson as the victim.

According to his bio on the company’s website, Thompson was named CEO in April 2021. Prior to that, he was CEO of the company’s government programs, including its medicare program.

He joined the company in 2004, according to his bio.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Lorie Burleson, Provider Advocate Account Manager at UnitedHealthCare, issued a statement on LinkedIn about the fatal shooting.

“This morning, we learned of the devastating loss of our CEO, Brian Thompson, who was tragically taken from us,” she wrote. “This is an unimaginable loss forUnitedHealth Groupand for everyone who knew him.“To my UHC family, my heart is with each of you during this incredibly difficult time. Let us come together to honor Brian’s legacy and support one another as we navigate this tragedy.”

source: people.com