Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting used fake ID at hostel: sources
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) – The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown is believed to have used a fake New Jersey ID to check into an Upper West Side hostel before the shooting, sources told PIX11 News.
Sources said the gunman arrived in the city after taking a bus from Atlanta several days ago. The NYPD was seen searching the fourth floor of the hostel, including the bathrooms, for evidence.
The suspect was also caught on video getting off the F train at the 57th Street subway station before the shooting. He was seen buying a water bottle at a Starbucks prior to the attack.
Thompson, 50, was shot in the back and leg outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on Wednesday while heading to an investors conference. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Wednesday. “At this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack.”
Bullet casings found at the scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them, according to sources. The words mirror the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” a tactic used by insurance providers to avoid paying claims, critics and lawyers said.
The suspect fled into a dark alleyway, where a cellphone was dropped, the NYPD said. Police collected the phone, which sources said was a burner phone, as evidence.
He then rode an e-bike into Central Park, according to authorities. New surveillance video, from about 15 minutes following the shooting, showed the suspect riding a bike on West 85th Street after he traveled through Central Park.
Thompson was receiving threats before the fatal shooting, his wife told NBC News. She told detectives that Thompson was receiving threats over the quality of or lack of health insurance coverage by UnitedHealthcare, sources said.
The suspect has still not been identified. Police told PIX11 News that they've been receiving tips on who the gunman might be.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.