NYPD releases new photos of man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
The New York Police Department released two new photos Saturday night of the man suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
First reported by NBC News and the New York Post, the images are the latest update in the search for the man sought in the Dec. 4 killing of Thompson, a Maple Grove resident who worked at the insurance company for 20 years.
One image depicts the possible shooter’s face framed in the partition of a taxi, a blue mask and black hoodie obscuring most of his features. The other photo, captured from inside a car, depicts the man outside a vehicle, wearing the same mask and hooded jacket. The NYPD said investigators have tracked some of his movements by taxi, according to NBC News.
The photos are the most recent development in an intensive manhunt, now stretching into its fifth day, for Thompson’s killer, though the efforts have so far yielded few breakthroughs.
Law enforcement officers on Friday evening found a backpack in Central Park believed to have belonged to the suspected killer, with some national outlets reporting yesterday that the bag contained two items: a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money. New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters at a police holiday party on Saturday that the “net is tightening,” according to the New York Post.
Police previously said the man may have traveled to New York City last month via a Greyhound bus that left from Atlanta. But a local outlet in Atlanta reported late last night that NYPD officers are “unclear” if the man was ever in Atlanta and where he boarded the bus.
Authorities are offering hefty rewards for information related to the CEO’s killing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations announced Friday night it would provide up to $50,000 for tips leading to an arrest and conviction, while the NYPD is offering a $10,000 reward.
The impact of Thompson’s killing has stretched from Manhattan to Minnetonka, Minnesota, where UnitedHealthcare is headquartered.
FOX 9 reported yesterday that fencing now partially surrounds the campus’ entrances, with a police observation trailer located nearby.
Other Minnesota-based insurance companies have imposed security measures. UCare, an insurance company that employs about 1,700 people, is closing its offices this week and asking employees to work from home after receiving a “concerning” phone call.
The health insurer Medica opted to close its Minnetonka campus “out of an abundance of caution” and shut down offices in Duluth, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; Omaha, Nebraska; and Madison, Wisconsin, through Friday. And Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota said it had elevated security measures at its headquarters and asked employees to remain vigilant and report any unusual activity.
Police have not speculated publicly about a motive, but they have said the killer appears to have intentionally targeted the UnitedHealthcare executive. Colleagues and neighbors in Maple Grove have mourned the death of Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two.
Across the country, his killing has reinvigorated conversations about insurance denials, with some people taking to social media to share frustrations with insurance companies’ denying their medical claims.
Industry officials have expressed dismay and surprise about the levels of animosity directed toward Thompson, UnitedHealthcare and other companies in the wake of the killing.
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(Christopher Snowbeck contributed to this report.)
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