The killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO was a targeted attack, authorities say
The killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO was a targeted attack, authorities say The CEO of United Healthcare was shot and killed in what New York City officials are calling a brazen and targeted attack. The company has the largest share of the nation’s health insurance market.
National
The killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO was a targeted attack, authorities say
The CEO of United Healthcare was shot and killed in what New York City officials are calling a brazen and targeted attack. The company has the largest share of the nation’s health insurance market.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
The CEO of the country’s largest health insurance company was shot and killed in Manhattan this morning. Police are calling the attack on Brian Thompson a brazen targeted attack. They have not named a suspect. Charles Lane of member station WNYC joins us now with more on the incident that has set off a citywide manhunt. Hi, Charles.
CHARLES LANE, BYLINE: Good afternoon.
CHANG: So what do we know so far about what happened today?
LANE: Police say that at 6:45, about 6:45 this morning, Thompson was walking to attend an investor conference when a – where a gunman was waiting for him. Police say that they have video of the gunman waiting for several minutes and watching several other pedestrians pass by. When Thompson passed, the gunman shot him and only him several times in the back and the leg. Police said that they found three spent 9 mm ammunition shells there on the ground. Here is NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JESSICA TISCH: Every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.
LANE: Detectives said that the gunman appeared proficient in using the gun because it jammed during the shooting, but the gunman was still able to – quickly able to unjam it. Police said that the man then fled on foot before jumping on an electric Citi Bike, which is N.Y. city’s bike share program here. But so far, they don’t have a name for the suspect and haven’t shared any other leads on the person.
CHANG: This is terrifying. Can you just tell us more about Brian Thompson?
LANE: Thompson was named chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare in 2021, and he’s been in leadership roles there for about 20 years. UnitedHealthcare is a division of UnitedHealth Group, which is the largest health insurance firm in the country and also has the title for employing the most number of physicians. Police say that Thompson traveled without a security detail. And Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he has been receiving threats but that he didn’t alter his travel habits. She added that she is focusing on consoling their two children.
CHANG: Well, all of this unfolded in Midtown Manhattan, right next to Rockefeller Center. I mean, we are talking about one of the most crowded areas of New York City.
LANE: Yeah, it is. And I think that’s what makes it even more chilling, is that this part of Manhattan is just overwhelmed with tourists typically. And it’s also typically free of crime. My colleague tracks the shootings in the city, and she says that there’s been no fatal shootings so far at all this year in this part of town. If you can try to imagine, like, the busiest place in the U.S., it’s right between Central Park and Times Square, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral is right nearby. And even during the holiday season, there’s just a crush of people out there shopping.
CHANG: Yeah.
LANE: And tonight was the tree lighting for the famed Rockefeller Christmas tree, which attracts just tons of tourists.
CHANG: Yeah. So how was he able to get away?
LANE: Yeah, that’s the other fascinating thing. New York is filled with cameras everywhere. NYPD recently launched a drone program into Central Park, and the bikes here have GPS locators. So it’s just really fascinating that he was able to walk away.
CHANG: Right. That is Charles Lane of member station WNYC. Thank you, Charles.
LANE: No, thank you.
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
