Photographs of the suspect who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan have been released, as New York City cops continue to investigate the identity of the alleged killer.
On Thursday, the NYPD released two photos of the killer, one of which showed the suspect smiling.
In a statement, the NYPD said, “Below are photos of a person of interest wanted for questioning regarding the Midtown Manhattan homicide on Dec. 4.”
“This does not appear to be a random act of violence; all indications are that it was a premeditated, targeted attack.”
A thorough investigation was underway, with the NYPD offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspect. The gunman’s motive, however, is still unknown.
Thompson, a 50-year-old Minnesota resident, was scheduled to speak at an investor meeting when he was shot at point-blank range around 6:46 a.m. on Wednesday outside the New York Hilton Midtown on Manhattan’s 6th Avenue.
Police describe the crime as a “targeted attack.”
According to ABC, nearly two hours earlier, the suspect, a white man dressed entirely in black, was seen walking outside the Frederick Douglass Houses, a public housing project on the Upper West Side, as early as 5 a.m.
About 30 minutes before Thompson’s death, a Starbucks security camera at West 56th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan captured his last sighting.
About five minutes before the victim arrived, police observed the shooter walking alone to the New York Hilton Midtown, the location of Thomson’s scheduled conference speech.
The suspect then stepped out from behind a car and shot Thompson in the back and right calf, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
After fleeing the scene, the suspect entered Central Park on an e-bike at 6:48 a.m. and was caught cycling out of the park on West 85th Street shortly before 7 a.m., according to CBS video footage.
According to The Times, as the NYPD scrambled to find the killer, they deployed a swath of investigators—both uniformed and plainclothes—dogs, drones, and helicopters.
According to reports, investigators are also attempting to identify the suspect in surveillance images using facial recognition technology.
According to CNN, police located the assailant at a hostel on 103rd and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. A law enforcement officer told the outlet that police obtained one image of the suspect in his hostel where he was not wearing a mask.
It is unclear whether the photographs of the suspect shared on X match those mentioned in CNN’s report.
Investigators are now focussing on a number of clues that they hope will help them identify the killer, including a cryptic message left at the scene.
ABC News reported that the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were carved into some of the live rounds and shell casings left outside the Hilton hotel.
When the suspect fled, he appeared to leave behind a Starbucks water bottle and a mobile in an alleyway. Investigators hope that the items will be able to provide fingerprint or DNA evidence.
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the police believe it was “definitely” not a “random act of violence” after conducting a preliminary investigation.
“We believe this was clearly a targeted shooting,” he told MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Thursday. “In my years of law enforcement, I’ve never seen a silencer. That was really shocking for all of us.”
Adams continued: “We’re on the right path, and we believe we’re going to apprehend this person.”