Authorities have identified the individual believed to be the murderer of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson and are closing in on him, as reported by New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Saturday, according to the Reuters.
“The net is tightening,”
Adams told reporters.
During a Police Athletic League holiday event in Harlem, Adams chose not to disclose the suspect’s name to the press.
“We don’t want to release that now,”
the mayor said.
“If you do, you are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking… Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask.”
Thompson, 50, who took on the role of CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance division in April 2021, was shot in the back around 6:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Police described the incident as a targeted attack. The shooting occurred just prior to the company’s annual investor conference at the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue. Thompson, sustained gunshot wounds to his back and leg, and was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the incident.
The shooting led to a massive manhunt for the suspect, who ran away wearing a hooded jacket, balaclava and a gray backpack. He then rode an electric bike into Central Park, according to police. On Friday, police said they believe the suspect has left New York City after video showed him getting into a taxi that took him to a bus station.
“We have video of him entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal… Those buses are interstate buses. That’s why we believe he may have left New York City,”
New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN.
MSNBC reported on Saturday that police discovered a jacket and Monopoly money inside the bag, but no firearm. The New York police have announced a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the shooter, while the FBI has boosted that amount by adding an additional $50,000.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?