Police have discovered the backpack that the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson left behind in Central Park.
The gunman abandoned his backpack on his way out of New York, where officials say he fled after being seen approaching a bus stop.
The New York Police Department verified to The Sun that the backpack was discovered during their second search of the Manhattan park.
According to the New York Times, officers have yet to open the backpack but have stated that it will be taken “straight to the lab” for forensic processing.
The assassin’s rucksack was discovered near the park’s famed carousel at the southern end of the park, where the suspect was last seen riding an e-bike.
According to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, investigators have “reason to believe” that the person of interest in Thompson’s murder has fled the city.
A photo of the individual suspected of the murder was issued on Thursday because police want a “wider audience to see the picture outside of New York City,” she told CNN.
Cops are still putting together the timeline of the killer’s movements after the shooting.
What we know…
- The killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson remains at large as the manhunt enters its third day .
- Security camera images of a smiling man wearing a hooded jacket have been released, while a fake ID, cellphone, and DNA sample have reportedly been found.
- The killer pulled down his face mask while flirting with a hotel receptionist .
- Cops believe the assassin used a rare “World War Two spy gun” fitted with a silencer to kill Thompson.
- The killer fled into Central Park on a bike wearing a backpack, but was later spotted leaving without it.
- He arrived in New York last month after boarding a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta.
- Terrified CEOs are stepping up their security in the wake of the killing over fears of copycat assassination attempts.
- A $10,000 reward for any information about the killing is being offered by police.
According to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, the alleged gunman fled the scene outside the New York Hilton Midtown, going down an ally before riding a bike up Avenue of the Americas into Central Park.
Kenny told CNN that he then exited Central Park near 77th Street, still holding the bike.
The suspect is seen strolling to 86th Street and Columbus Avenue before getting into a taxi and travelling north to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, where police claim he entered approximately 8 a.m. but did not leave.
“Those are interstate buses. That is why we assume he has left New York City,” he stated.
“We don’t have any video of him exiting so we believe he may have gotten on a bus.”
DNA evidence linked to the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was previously delivered to a forensics lab for analysis.
Cops are still looking for leads in the shooting death of the health commissioner, who was gunned down outside a hotel in New York City on Wednesday morning.
According to law enforcement sources, the DNA evidence was found in a water bottle purchased by the gunman at a Starbucks two blocks from the crime site.
Prior to the incident, he went to a coffee shop on West 56th Street and paid in cash for a coffee, water, and two energy bars.
Investigators discovered the bottle at the crime site.
A new video shows the suspect discarding an item just before the murder.
MANHUNT ENTERS THIRD DAY
As the search for the killer enters its third day, authorities have yet to give a name for the suspect.
However, a retired New York police investigator claims that police have “already identified” the gunman.
Former NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher told Fox Business that the force probably already had a name, citing the “uncommon” rifle thought to have been used by the killer.
According to Fox News, the revelation follows another lead in the case, which suggested the gunman landed in New York last month on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta.
Atlanta police acknowledged that they are working with the NYPD on the inquiry.
On November 24, security footage shows him getting off the bus at Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal.
“We are fully cooperating with the authorities in this active investigation,” a Greyhound representative told The Sun.
“As it is ongoing, we cannot provide further comment at this time.”
A burner phone discarded by the suspect was discovered in an alley near the New York Hilton Midtown, where Thompson was shot while arriving for an investor’s conference.
The incident occurred outside the hotel on West 54th Street, in the centre of midtown Manhattan.
The gunman then escaped down an alleyway onto West 55th Street before being observed riding a bike to the left on Avenue of the Americas.
He was last seen biking into Central Park, which has limited surveillance camera coverage.
Surveillance footage appears to show the man exiting Central Park without the backpack.
Cops conducted an intensive search of the park on Thursday but have yet to find it.
On Thursday, investigators investigated the HI New York City Hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where the accused killer is thought to have resided before to the shooting.
The NYPD posted a photo of a hooded guy smiling inside the hotel, identifying him as a “person of interest wanted for questioning.”
He wore the mask for the majority of his time at the hostel, but apparently removed it after a female employee flirted with him.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has expressed confidence that police will find the shooter quickly.
“We’re seeing good old-fashioned police work here,” he told NY1, adding that the investigation was “on the right track.”
UnitedHealth Group Statement on Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed while leaving a New York City hotel on December 4. The parent firm, UnitedHealth Group, published the following statement:
“We are very saddened and startled by the demise of our good friend and colleague Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
“Brian was a valued colleague and friend to everyone who worked with him.
“We are working closely with the New York Police Department and would appreciate your patience and understanding at this difficult time.
“Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”