By JAKE OFFENHARTZ and KAREN MATTHEWS
NEW YORK — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed Wednesday morning in what investigators suspect was a targeted shooting outside a Manhattan hotel where the company was holding an investor conference.
A person briefed on the investigation confirmed to The Associated Press that the victim was Thompson, the health insurance company’s 50-year-old CEO. Speaking about the shooting, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said it did not appear to be a random attack.
Police said the shooter fled after the shooting, which happened around 6:45 a.m. outside a Hilton. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital but could not be saved.
A New York police officer walks outside a hotel where a shooting occurred in midtown Manhattan, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Joe Frederick)
Adams said police were reviewing evidence from the scene, including video.
“This was not what appears to be a just random act of violence. It seems to be clearly targeted by an individual and we will apprehend that individual,” he said.
UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company was scheduled to have its annual meeting with investors in New York City to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year, according to a company media advisory. An announcement was made to attendees Wednesday morning that the conference was ending early.
The Hilton is in a bustling part of Manhattan, a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center, and often dense with tourists and office workers on weekday mornings. The popular Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting is set to take place Wednesday evening.
Part of the block where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police tape, with a large contingent of police officers at the scene. Many security cameras are nearby.
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Thompson had served as CEO for more than three years and had been with the company since 2004.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tweeted that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”
“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs.
Associated Press writer Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Indiana, contributed to this story.