ATLANTA — The man accused of gunning down the CEO of one of the country’s largest health insurance companies traveled on a bus from Atlanta to get to New York City.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died in the dawn ambush Wednesday.
Thompson was walking to the company’s annual investor conference at a Hilton in Midtown Manhattan, blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art.
A law enforcement official said the shooter had used ammunition with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on it in permanent marker. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
ABC confirmed Thursday night that the alleged gunman arrived in New York last month on a bus from Atlanta and went through the Port Authority Bus Terminal. He then checked into the Upper West Side Hostel on Nov. 30.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 29-year-old woman killed in hit-and-run in busy DeKalb County intersection
- Cherokee County teacher arrested for inappropriate conduct with a minor
- UGA student killed in head-on crash day after Thanksgiving
It’s believed he arrived in the city prior to that date and detectives continue their video canvass to gain a fuller picture of his movements, ABC News said.
Thompson was on the way to the company’s annual investors meeting when the gunman opened fire on him, killing him.
Thompson was alone and had no bodyguards, police said.
Officers found him on the ground with wounds to his back and right calf, according to Joseph Kenny, the NYPD chief of detectives. The CEO was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital at 7:12 a.m.
Kenny said the shooter wore a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers, and a distinctive gray backpack.
He arrived outside the hotel about five minutes before Thompson did, then waited and ignored other pedestrians before he approached Thompson from behind.
After the assailant began to fire, his 9 mm pistol jammed but he quickly fixed it and kept firing, Kenny said.
“From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” Kenny said.
The shooter ran into an alleyway near the hotel and later got on the e-bike that he took into Central Park.
Police initially said the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle from the city’s bike-share program, CitiBike. But a spokesperson for the program’s operator, Lyft, said police officials informed the company Wednesday afternoon that the bike was not from the CitiBike fleet.
Greyhound sent a statement to ABC News, saying: “We are fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation. As it is ongoing, we cannot provide further comment at this time.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
©2024 Cox Media Group
