Brian Thompson manhunt recap: Hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin ramps up as FBI mobilizes with new reward issued

Thank you for following along with DailyMail.com’s live coverage of the manhunt for Brian Thompson’s killer.

Two NYPD sources have told CNN that they believe they are now homing in on identifying the suspect in the killing of Thompson.

The outlet reported that investigators are working to track his whereabouts after he fled the city shortly after murdering the CEO.

They are said to be using facial recognition technology and examining DNA that could help nab the killer.

Investigators are also looking into the possibility that the assassin used a veterinary gun when he killed Brian Thompson.

Chief Detective Joseph Kenny said they are probing the use of the weapon which is typically reserved for use on farms and ranches.

He told the New York Times: ‘If an animal has to get put down, the animal can be shot without the weapon causing a large noise.’

On Thursday it was widely reported the gun was believed to have been a modern version of a rare World War II gun called a B&T VP9.

Sources told The New York Post on Thursday that detectives are focusing their efforts on a Connecticut gun store they believe sold the weapon.

The words ‘delay,’ ‘deny’ and ‘depose’ were scrawled on the ammunition, one word on each of three bullets, Kenny said.

A law enforcement official previously said that the words scrawled on the ammunition were ‘deny’, ‘defend’ and ‘depose’.

The FBI has joined the investigation into the murder of Brian Thompson, the bureau confirmed on Friday night.

The manhunt has now expanded outside of New York City with the unknown gunman said to have arrived into the Big Apple in November on a bus from Atlanta.

It was confirmed on Friday that the shooter managed to flee the city shortly after the assassination, aboard a bus on West 178th street just an hour after the shooting.

A bureau spokesperson said: ‘The FBI is assisting the NYPD with the investigation.’

The bureau have also announced that they are offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest and conviction.

The NYPD said they have a passenger list for the Greyhound bus they say the killer rode into New York City on in November – but are still unclear who they are searching for.

Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, said investigators still do not know precisely who they are seeking.‘We do not have his name,’ he told the New York Times,

He added: ‘At this point, we believe he acted alone.’

In a briefing with reporters, Kenny said the suspect they are searching for arrived in New York City on November 24 on a bus that originated in Atlanta, Georgia.

They said he then went first to the Hilton before then traveling to a hostel on the Upper West Side where he stayed and kept his mask on the entire time.

Only once did he lower his mask, when a flirty receptionist asked him to do so, providing cops with a clear image of his face.

The police said that while they have the passenger list the suspect didn’t need an ID or a credit card to board it.

The Chief of Detectives with the NYPD Joseph Kenny has revealed that they believe the assassin is either a disgruntled ex-employee or an angry client.

UnitedHealthcare is one of the nation’s largest health insurers and provides coverage to millions of Americans, they employ roughly 140,000 people.

Thompson’s widow Paulette said earlier this week that there had been ‘some threats’ made against her husband relating to a ‘lack of coverage’.

Kenny told The New York Times that the NYPD and Minnesota law enforcement are in communication with his family.

He said: ‘Nothing in our investigation at this time so far indicates that it had anything to do with his personal life.’

The Chief of Detectives with the NYPD Joseph Kenny said on Friday that the gunman first fled on foot then a bike and pedaled into Central Park at 6:48 am.

At 6:56 am he then left the park while still on the bicycle at 77th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Surveillance footage captured him near 86th Street and Columbus Avenue two minutes after he left the park, while still on his bike.

At 7:04 am he then go into a cab at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and headed north. By 7:30 am he had made it to the Port Authority bus terminal in the north of the city.

Authorities believe the individual wanted in connection with the assassination of Thompson left the city afterwards.

On Thursday officials said the individual had arrived into the city in late November on a bus from Atlanta, Georgia, and had been staying inside a hostel on the Upper West Side.

Footage emerged on Thursday showing the gunman riding a bicycle through the streets of Manhattan after the shooting.

Police say he went into Central Park after gunning down Thompson on an electric bike, with footage showing him without the backpack after he exited the park.

Investigators have found a backpack in Central Park they believe may be linked to United Healthcare CEO killer, an NYPD spokesperson told CNN.

Investigators have yet to confirm if the suspect had the bag and are having it forensically tested before opening it.

A source told The New York Times: ‘They’re not even opening it — it’s going straight to the lab” for forensic analysis.’

Technicians were seen on Friday afternoon entering a wooded area in Central Park to photograph and collect evidence.

The Times reported that clothing and a heavy object were recovered from the scene.

Officers with the NYPD are seen below scouring the park near 64th Street and Central Park West for other evidence.

CNN reported that the bag was found by cops on their second sweep of the park, and was placed between boulders just south of the park’s carousel.

ABC7 acquired an image of the bag laying amongst leaves inside the park on Friday night before it was bagged as evidence.

The CEO of United Healthcare has complained about the media coverage of his colleague’s murder.

In a sour rant that was leaked online by journalist Kenn Klippenstein, Andrew Whitty said: ‘You’ve seen a lot of media interest in this situation with a huge amount of misinformation and frankly offensive communication.’

He called it the coverage ‘aggressive, inappropriate and disrespectful’.

The HI Hostel where the killer stayed posted a flyer on its door on Friday insisting it was cooperating with police.

The killer is believed to have only dropped his mask when asked by a staff member to show her his smile.

Their flirty interaction has provided the only clue towards his identity.

Police are yet to recover the murder weapon, however police sources told the New York Post the gun is thought to be a Swiss-made Brugger & Thomet VP9.

The rare firearm is an update to the British World War Two era Welrod pistol and is typically used for putting down large animals such as horses.

CNN has reported that Atlanta police are assisting in the search for the gunman.

Officials believe the killer took a bus from the south to NYC on November 24.

‘The Atlanta Police Department was contacted by NYPD and will now be providing assistance as needed,’ a statement said.

‘The NYPD is the lead agency in this investigation so please direct all questions to their Public Affairs Office. The Atlanta Police Department will not be able to provide interviews or answer any questions regarding this investigation.’

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny has said police do not yet know the name of Brian Thompson’s killer.

The NYPD reportedly believes that Brian Thompson’s killer has left NYC.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN the gunman was seen taking a cab to Port Authority after he exited Central Park on an e-bike following the murder.

‘Those buses are interstate buses. That’s why we believe he may have left New York City,’ he said. ‘We have video of him entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal. We don’t have any video of him exiting so we believe he may have gotten on a bus.’

Platforms including Bluesky, Reddit and X sprouted hundreds of posts from amateur gumshoes poring over video and photos.

‘Dude had a suppressor, which is an extremely difficult thing to acquire, especially in a state like New York,’ wrote one Reddit user.

Such forums are rife with so-called internet detectives who pick through publicly available reports to uncover information in the aftermath of major crimes. Sometimes, they succeed: Online sleuths helped investigators identify numerous rioters who took part in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

But such ‘crowd-sourced investigations’ also can go awry. Following the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Reddit users spread theories that pointed at the wrong people, which were later amplified by publications including the New York Post. The FBI released pictures of their leading suspects to quell the speculation.

Officials are reportedly looking for more images of the subject that can help facial recogniition technology narrow down his identity.

A controversial AI program used to deny elderly people health coverage is now at the center of questions about the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.

Police believe the gunman fled the shooting scene into Central Park on an e-bike.

There are fewer cameras inside the park than on other Manhattan streets.

The suspect is thought to have exited the park through the west side, and without the packback he was carrying when he entered.

Officials, however, have not been able to find the backpack.

The insurance company said it is focused on supporting Thompson’s family.

They also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators.

‘While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,’ the company said.

Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said.

The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Police had been investigating a gun purchased in Connecticut that resembled the weapon used in the murder of Brian Thompson’s murder.

However, detectives now know that gun has no connection to the shooting and was bought by someone identified by police, who is now the suspect, The New York Times reported.

He is survived by his wife Paulette ‘Pauley’ Thompson, 51, and their two children who live in the family’s $1.5 million home in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Footage of the attack shows a figure, who appears to be a woman dressed in dark clothing and holding a coffee cup, fleeing from a doorway as the assassin opens fire just meters away.

We do not yet know who this person is, but there has been no suggestion that they were involved or knew Thompson.

Indeed, they appeared to be surprised by the shooting, cowering in a doorway when the first shot rang out, before making a run for it.

Police will no doubt be desperate to identify this key witness.

DNA samples taken from a water bottle believed to have been dropped by the gunman at the scene are being tested by officials, though those results could take days.

A Starbucks cup potentially used by the killer is also being processed for DNA evidence.

While the NYPD tries to catch up with the killer, many on the internet are trying to solve the case.

Among those who asked X for answers was Donald Trump Jr.

The killer paid cash in Starbucks and in any other establishment in NYC to avoid detection, police sources told the AP.

It makes it more difficult for them to track him down, and points to the premeditated nature of the killing.

Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations.

Meanwhile health insurance provided Centene Corp said its investors meeting this year will now be virtual.

The insurer cited the fatal shooting in its announcement about the December 2 event.

A worker at the hostel where police believe the killer was staying said he removed his mask after she asked to ‘see his pretty smile,’ a high-ranking source told CBS News.

Thst’s when surveillance footage captured his face, as the suspect had apparently remained masked for most of his time in NYC.

Online commenters were quick to point out discrepancies between the images of the suspect released by police and claimed the differences suggest they show two different people.

Brian Thompson’s assassin appears to have dropped an object into trash bags just before he shot the CEO dead, Newsweek reported.

CCTV footage shows the suspect stopping before a pile of white plastic trash bags before he places something on top before he keeps walking.

The suspect was seen about 10 minutes later walking by a parking lot one street away, which suggests there was a delay between getting from 55th to arriving at 54th street as he moved towards the Hilton hotel, where he shot Thomson dead.

Eric Adams provided no new information on investigation’s progress during interviews Friday.

But he said that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter.

‘We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,’ Adams said on TV station WPIX.

Many of the biggest U.S. companies, particularly those in the tech sector, spend heavily on personal and residential security for their top executives.

Dershowitz appeared on Fox News on Thursday and offered his theory on the motive behind Thompson’s murder.

The lawyer mentioned a Department of Justice’s probe into UnitedHealthcare which focues on whether the company was using unfair practices to monopolize the market.

Thompson was also accused of insider trading after he sold stocks to the company when he learned of the DoJ probe.

‘And if he was being investigated, there were people out there who would be afraid [that] he would flip and turn against them,’ Dershowitz said.

‘And so I think they have to investigate the possibility that somebody who he might have testified against had him killed to prevent him from being from testifying.

‘Also, whoever killed him knew where he was going, knew he was going at six forty in the morning. Knew it was well before the events began.

‘So I think the investigation has to look inward to the company to see who was under investigation and who this guy might have flipped against.’

UnitedHealthcare has disabled social media comments on its profiles after disgruntled patients began flooding the company with complaints following the assassination of its CEO.

The health insurer has been deluged by comments, many from people who say their or their loved ones claims have been denied. Its most recent Instagram posts announcing the death of Thompson let users like or share the post, but not comment on it.

A former FBI chief has revealed he does not believe that Brian Thompson’s assassin was a hitman but he was clearly a ‘proficient’ marksman.

Robert D’Amico said the UnitedHeathcare CEO’s killer made some crucial errors which mark him out as an amateur, including a visiting a nearby Starbucks prior to the slaying.

Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner.

UnitedHealthcare and several of its competitoirs have erased the leadership pages from their websites.

UnitedHealthcare’s About Us page has been redirecting to the homepage since Thursday, 404 Media reported.

The page used to take users to Thompson’s bio alongside bios for each of its top executives.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medica have also removed their About Us pages.

A balloon with a sign taped to it reading ‘CEO DOWN’ over the image of a smiling star and party poppers was found outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan after Thompson, 50, was gunned down there Wednesday morning.

The NYPD said late on Thursday afternoon that it scoured a Long Island Rail Road train the day prior after receiving a tip that Brian Thompson’s assassin was on board.

The tip turned out to be a dead-end, however law enforcement officials urged the public to continue offering tips to aid their ongoing manhunt.

A police spokesperson said: ‘The train stopped. They searched the train and nothing was found.’

Taylor Lorenz has doubled down on her unsympathetic comments she made about the death of UnitedHeath’s CEO, but clarified that she does not condone murder.

Lorenz has since defended her sentiment in an interview with TMZ amid the backlash, telling critics it’s important to consider context.

Thompson was the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance wing of parent company UnitedHealth Group Inc.

He had worked at the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company for two decades and led its insurance division since 2021. He was one of the company’s highest-paid executives, with a $10.2 million annual compensation package.

Thompson kept a low profile, with UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s CEO Andrew Witty taking on a more public-facing role that included testifying before Congress.

Thompson started his career as a certified public accountant and graduated from the University of Iowa. He lived in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove and was the married father of two sons in high school.

The words scrawled on the bullets used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson closely resemble the title of a book criticizing insurance companies and the tactics they use to deny claims, it has been revealed.

Curiously, the messages bear similarity to the title of a 2010 book on ‘why insurance companies don’t pay claims and what you can do about it’, called ‘Delay, Deny, Defend’.

Critics allege the tactic is used by insurance companies to ‘ensure your claim is either never paid or paid at a rate far below what you deserve’.

Last year the DoJ launched a probe into whether the private company of the nation’s biggest insurer, led by Thompson, was unfairly restricting competitors and running a monopoly.

In May, the City of Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund initiated a complaint against Thompson and other executives, accusing the CEO of failing to tell investors about the federal probe before he unloaded over 31 percent of his stock, taking in $15.1 million in proceeds.

In legal documents, the fund said Thompson and other company execs sold over $117 million worth of UnitedHealth common stock during the four-month period when insiders knew about the federal antitrust investigation but the public did not.

Thompson had an in-house security team assigned to him for his stay in Manhattan, but they were not with him when he was shot dead as he walked to the company’s annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in Midtown, a source told CNN.

It’s the norm for major health care companies to assign personal security to their top executives.

The unidentified killer rode a bus from Atlanta to New York City 10 days before he shot Thompson dead, arriving in Manhattan on November 24, according to CNN.

He reportedly spent his days bouncing around the city, and even visited the Hilton hotel days before the killing.

The suspect used a fake ID from New Jersey to check into a hostel in the Upper West Side. He paid in cash.

He checked out of the hostel on November 29 before checking back in on November 30.

The assassination of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson has triggered tasteless celebrations and bad taste support for the gunman who killed him.

Thompson was shot outside the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday morning by a masked assassin, who remains on the run and whose motive has not been disclosed.

As news of the cold-blooded killing spread, thousands declared they were happy at news of the horrific killing of the 50 year-old father of two and even cooed over the murderer’s apparent good looks.

Thompson purchased the $1million home near his family home in 2018, according to public records, with neighbors telling the Journal that he spent much of his time traveling.

A hostel clerk had a brief flirty moment with the suspected shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson which handed authorities bombshell evidence by getting a better look at the assailant.

The staff member told CNN that she had asked the gunman to lower his mask while flirting with him as he checked into the HI New York City Hostel in Manhattan’s Upper West Side.