UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead outside New York hotel in targeted attack

The gunman could not be arrested immediately.

Dressed in a suit and tie, Thompson was walking toward the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan to attend UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference when he was fatally shot.

According to CNN, the gunman was masked in the freezing temperatures and waited for about 10 minutes before Thompson’s arrival and then opened fire from 20 feet away, shooting multiple times.

After striking Thompson, the gunman fled on a bicycle, the official told CNN. Investigators are searching the area.

Police currently believe that the suspect fled into Central Park.

The 50-year-old executive was shot in the chest. Responding emergency workers rushed him to Mount Sinai West in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead, according to the NYPD.

“We are deeply saddened by this morning’s events in the area and our thoughts are with all affected by the tragedy. Additional questions should be directed to the New York Police Department,” a New York Hilton Midtown general manager told CNN, noting that Thompson was not a registered guest at the hotel.

Thompson became the chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021.

UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, ranked fifth in the Fortune 500, according to the company.