The gunman who killed the CEO of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies in front of surveillance cameras in midtown Manhattan remained free Thursday from the dragnet launched by the nation's largest police department of the country.
The New York Police Department released a new surveillance image early today, asking for the public's help in identifying the person in it for questioning.
The person is unmasked, contrary to surveillance images released on Wednesday. In these images, the person was wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that hid most of their face, which would not have attracted attention on a freezing day.
Some photos were taken at a Starbucks shortly before filming.
Investigators also believe the shooter may have traveled to New York last month on a bus from Atlanta, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound to try to identify the man and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, the official said.
Police have offered a reward of up to US$10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Last seen riding in Central Park
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, was killed in a dawn ambush Wednesday on his way to the company's annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the United States and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs, but it is unclear at this point whether Thompson's murder was related to his work.
Investigators recovered several 9mm shell casings outside the hotel and a cellphone in the alley through which the shooter fled, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said earlier.
Three words were written on the boxes, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday: “deny,” “defend” and “depose.”
They are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” – the way some lawyers describe the strategy insurers use to avoid paying claims and the title of a 2010 book highly critical of the industry .
Police have not officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the insurance industry. They also said officers have not determined a motive.
Online backlash targets insurance industry
But Thompson's shooting and the words about the munitions sparked an online backlash reflecting a growing frustration among Americans with the cost and complexity of accessing health care.
At the time UnitedHealthcare closed comments on its Facebook post in mourning it is CEOthere were more than 36,000 laughing emojis, compared to around 2,200 sad reactions.
An Instagram post from the company was also locked, with comments invisible on Thursday. The same thing was true on.
In Facebook shares of the company's post, one person offered the shooter a place to stay. Another person wrote: “I would offer my thoughts and prayers, but they are not covered because they are out of network,” a reference to the wording used by insurers when a health care provider does not have contract with your health insurance plan.
“Closing comments faster than closing allegations, UnitedHealth Group style,” one commenter wrote on the site. the company's Facebook page Thursday morning.
Anthony Zenkusactivist and professor at Columbia University's School of Social Work, sparked his own reaction in the comments section when he wrote about X.
“Today we mourn the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson who was shot… wait, I'm sorry – today we mourn the deaths of the 68,000 Americans who die needlessly each year so that the leaders of insurance companies like Brian Thompson can become multi-millionaires.
Others, however, were quick to condemn those who were taking advantage of the assassination to vent their frustrations with the insurance industry.
“I didn't know Mr. Thompson. I'm not a fan of UnitedHealthCare; I had them once and didn't like it. But understand this: If you think the CEO of a company is shot in the street in The big day (murdered) is good or acceptable in any way, you are wrong and you are sick,” one person wrote in a statement. Facebook share of the company's post.
“A family is in mourning!” despised another person.
Thomson was an 'intended target', police say
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday that the shooting was not a random act of violence, but made no connection to Thompson's role in the head of the insurance company who was meeting with investors inside the hotel that day.
“Many people passed the suspect, but he seemed to be waiting for his target,” she said.
Investigators believe, judging from surveillance video and evidence collected at the scene, that the shooter had at least some prior firearms training and experience with firearms and that the The gun was equipped with a silencer, said one of the law enforcement officials who spoke to AP.
Investigators are also looking into whether the suspect had prepositioned a bicycle as part of an escape plan, the official said. The shooter fled on a bicycle and was last seen heading toward Central Park.
An employee at a nearby hostel confirmed that police had visited the property on Thursday to ask questions related to the investigation, but declined to provide further information.
Minnesota police are not aware of any threats
Security camera video showed the killer approaching Thompson from behind, pointing his pistol and firing several shots, barely stopping to clear a gun jam as the health official fell on the sidewalk. Other cameras filmed the first stages of the shooter's escape. He fled the block, crossing a pedestrian plaza, then fled on his bicycle.
Police used drones, helicopters and dogs to intensively search for the suspect.
The insurer's parent company, Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group Inc., was holding its annual investor meeting to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference shortly after Thompson's death.
WATCH l Read more about the ambush assassination of the influential health insurance CEO:[ MEDIA]
Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and was CEO for more than three years.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are working closely with the NYPD and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, described him in a statement as “an incredibly loving, generous and talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives.”
She told NBC News that Thompson told her “that some people were threatening him.” She did not have details, but suggested the threats could be linked to insurance coverage issues.
Eric Werner, the police chief of the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.
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