NEW YORK — An pressing manhunt is underway for the gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a “brazen, focused assault” exterior a New York Metropolis resort on Wednesday. Police mentioned in a information convention on Wednesday that the taking pictures was “premeditated.”
The motive of the masked gunman stays unknown, police mentioned.
Thursday morning, a supply informed ABC Information’ Arron Katersky that police have sought a search warrant for a location within the metropolis the place they assume the suspect might have been staying.
This, as police trying to find the suspected killer are additionally investigating whether or not the alleged shooter prepositioned an e-bike near the scene of the incident as a way of escape, police sources informed ABC Information.
The NYPD has remoted photographs of the suspect from a close-by Starbucks earlier than the taking pictures.
Investigators consider the shooter is proficient in firearms however due to what he carried on him and his method in the course of the killing, they don’t consider he was a hitman.
Thompson, 50, was in New York Metropolis for the UnitedHealthcare traders convention, which was scheduled to start out at 8 a.m. His schedule was extensively recognized, police sources mentioned.
He was shot a number of instances at shut vary exterior the Hilton Resort — the place the convention was being held — at round 6:40 a.m. by the intersection of West 54th Avenue and Sixth Avenue.
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File photograph of Chief Govt Officer of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson.
Enterprise Wire
The suspect — who was caught on surveillance cameras earlier than, throughout and instantly after the taking pictures — had been mendacity in wait close to the resort.
After the taking pictures, he fled on foot into an alley, the place a telephone believed to be linked to the suspect was later recovered, police sources mentioned.
The suspect then fled on a motorbike and he was final seen driving into Central Park at 6:48 a.m., police mentioned.
Eyewitness Information obtained these photographs of the suspect that matches the police description.
The shooter was caught on surveillance video at 5 a.m. the morning of the taking pictures exterior Frederick Douglass Homes, a public housing mission on the Higher West Facet, sources informed ABC Information.
That footage confirmed the suspect carrying what gave the impression to be an e-bike battery.
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Investigators are gathering proof because the seek for the suspect continues. The FBI — which has probably the most refined know-how for retrieving usable knowledge from cellphones — is helping with the investigation, the police sources mentioned.
Police additionally recovered a water bottle and sweet wrapper from the scene of the taking pictures which they consider are linked to the gunman. Fingerprint and DNA exams on the gadgets are ongoing, regulation enforcement sources informed ABC Information.
Detectives consider the gunman is just not an expert killer, sources mentioned. Bullet casings discovered on the scene had the phrases “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them, police sources mentioned.
Thompson’s spouse, Paulette Thompson, mentioned in an announcement that she was “shattered” by the “mindless killing.”
“Brian was an extremely loving, beneficiant, gifted man who actually lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” she mentioned. “Most significantly, Brian was an extremely loving father to our two sons and will likely be vastly missed.”
Police urge the general public to name Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS with any info.
ABC Information’ Mark Crudele and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.
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