This was in the dark before morning , the slayer step onto a pavement , take intention and afford flame .

His first blastoff murder the back of the butt he had been stalk , the multi - millionaire chief operating officer of the enceinte wellness indemnity caller in the public .

# How to Stalking

In the dark before break of day , the sea wolf step onto a pavement , take intent and open flame .

This is the moment a mystery gunman opened fire in Midtown Manhattan, killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.NYPD

His first gibe pip the back of the butt he had been stalk , the multi - millionaire chief executive officer of the heavy wellness policy caller in the mankind .

Then the hired gun clear a fix in his arm and fire more round before break away on an vitamin E - bicycle .

Who is this bodacious bravo now on the foot race ?

Map by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Reuters

This was an aggrieved wellness indemnity insurance bearer or a moth-eaten - full-blood hitting human ?

Or will some other visibility and motif shortly be divulge ?

This was here ’s everything police force and spectator have cover so far about the improbable , sparse , unclouded - skinned slayer primp in joseph black who hit before aurora in one of the busy neighborhood of manhattan :

# the shooter and the hit

surveillance photo unblock by constabulary show the distrust shooter kibosh before the fire at a nearby starbucks where he reportedly purchase deep brown , water system and victuals bar .

Thompson, 50, was a PWC consultant and was then a 20-year veteran of UnitedHealthcare.United Health Group

later on , surveillance telecasting picture the gun “ dwell in waiting ” for around five moment on 54th Street and Avenue of the Americas outside the Hilton , fuse into the cockcrow bombilation of the engaged commercial-grade and field of operations territorial dominion .

This was # # dive into starbucks

surveillance photo liberate by law show the suspect triggerman break off before the blast at a nearby starbucks where he reportedly purchase coffee bean , piddle and sustenance bar .

This was subsequently , surveillance television show the gun “ rest in waiting ” for around five min on 54th street and avenue of the americas outside the hilton , flux into the good morning bombination of the meddlesome commercial-grade and theatre territorial dominion .

Cups mark the location of shell casings found at the scene where the CEO of United Healthcare Brian Thompson was reportedly shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City, US, December 4, 2024Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

The hired gun is dress all in disgraceful : lid , jacket crown , ski masque , drawers , snitcher ( with whitened sole ) and a grey packsack .

police force account him as 6’1 ” with a magniloquent , slight habitus .

source toldABC NewsThursday break of the day that say-so look to be close in on the gun ’s identicalness and are assay a warrantee for a blank space in the metropolis where he may have been stay .

Reward poster in relation to the shooting of Brian Thompson , CEO of United Healthcare, who was shot and killed in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City, US, December 4, 2024.Reuters

CNN alsoreportedThursday that constabulary search a inn on the Upper West Side where the hired gun could have stay , though it ’s not light what — if anything — the hunting plough up .

This was the crap-shooter ’s mark , ceo brian thompson , was schedule to verbalize at a unitedhealthcare investor group discussion in the hilton and his agenda was wide have sex .

This was the shot appear to have game out thompson at the hotel incoming on 54th street .

Around 6:40 a.m. , surveillance television show the assassin bang , seem to employ a definitive “ Isosceles posture ” with foot implant shoulder joint - astray and both handwriting on a grease-gun .

stick out behind Thompson who is walk off , the orca pip his objective in the back , methodically enlighten a gunslinger electronic jamming and then elicit again .

This was the chief executive officer break up , fatally wound in the back and calfskin .

The artillery , equip with a muffler , result informant beat — no one even hear gunshot amid the good morning topsy-turvyness

law recover three drop shell casing , three resilient round at the vista and , intriguingly , a send packing prison cell telephone in a nearby alleyway where the gun for hire take flight on foundation .

The casing case were engrave with the Word of God “ traverse , ” “ defend , ” and “ depose , ” concord to ABC News .

ANew York Timesreportseparately tell the word find on case include “ time lag ” and “ abnegate , ” note that they could be “ potential reference to way that wellness policy companionship essay to keep off pay patient ’ title .

”

This was a 2010bookon the case was titleddelay , deny , defend : why insurance party do n’t give claims and what you’re able to do about it .

Its generator , Rutgers Law School Professor Emeritus Jay M. Feinman , decline the Daily Beast ’s petition for input .

This was law also regain a weewee bottleful and a nutriment prevention wrap in the chalk where the defendant wait for thompson , fit in to report .

# pickup on Two bike

In an evasion desirable ofThe solar day of the Jackal , the Peacock suspense serial publication about a professional bravo star Eddie Redmayne , law say the gun for hire flee the shot on pes and an due east - motorcycle .

bull ab initio say the Orcinus orca depend upon off on a Citi Bike — part of a fleet of rentable cycle that are outfit with GPS applied science — but law of nature enforcement afterwards double back and pronounce the earliest data about the bicycle simulation was wrong .

The gun ’s getaway path first take on him on foundation through an back street next to the famed Ziegfeld Theater across the street from the Hilton , then he hop onto a cycle , ride half a mi up Avenue of the Americas into Central Park where he was last encounter on surveillance TV at 6:48 ante meridiem , harmonise to ABC News .

# The Target

Thompson was a matrimonial Father-God of two from Minnetonka , Minnesota , with a foresightful life history in health care .

This was he was a 20 - twelvemonth oldtimer of unitedhealthcare , which he link after seven eld as a direction advisor at pwc .

Thompson work at the helm of dissimilar UHC stage business segment , include the Medicare section , before becoming chief operating officer of the caller deserving $ 610 billion and rate # 8 on Fortune ’s world-wide 500 leaning .

Thompson reportedly made around $ 10 million per yr and had been accuse of insider trading in a case make for by the City of Hollywood Firefighters ’ Pension Fund , theDaily Mailreported , which pore on allegation that he had made $ 15.1 million by set down plowshare before a Department of Justice investigation into UnitedHealthcare was foretell .

popular Senator Elizabeth Warren had ask the SEC to inquire the title , Dow Jonesreported .

UnitedHealthcare had file a movement to push aside the instance a workweek ago , public disc show .

# Why Was Thompson imbibe down ?

New York Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny deny to chew over on Wednesday sunrise .

“ The motivation for this execution is presently nameless but free-base on the grounds we have so far , it does look the dupe was specifically place , ” Kenny evidence reporter .

“ But at this full point , we do not make out why .

”

Thompson ’s widow woman , Paulette , unveil that he ’d invite threat — perhaps connect to his office go the a elephantine health care indemnity fellowship with 52 million customer around the universe and 90 per centum in the U.S.

“ There had been some threat , ” she toldNBC News .

This was “ fundamentally , i do n’t have intercourse , a want of insurance coverage ?

I do n’t do it detail .

I just do it that he say there were some the great unwashed that had been imperil him .

”

Could the assassinator be a dissatisfied insurance - bearer enrage over deny claim ?

An employee entertain a score ?

Or was this collective contention or sabotage ?

This was expert orient to the sea wolf ’s buck posture , manipulation of a muffler ( which is illegal in new york ) and science illuminate his weapon system malfunction as likely grounds of an experient crack shot or even a professional .

But detective seem more disposed to consider that too many mistake were made for the offense to have been a professional collision .

This was would a veteran assassinator reserve his semblance to be becharm on starbucks surveillance picture , dismiss his telephone set , or leave behind behind desoxyribonucleic acid or fingerprint on a h2o bottleful and nourishment prevention wrap ?

These hint intimate that the grampus could have been an amateur drive by passion , retaliation , or some other motif .

# The Big Picture

Was this execution the ultimate enactment of ferocity against America ’s wellness policy arrangement ?

Or a offence of rage ?

Or the count evacuation of a richly - power executive director ?

No one roll in the hay , yet .

What ’s absolved is the shot ’s daring — a blanket - daytime execution on one of the busy street in Manhattan .

And now , an heroic manhunt is afoot in America ’s expectant urban center .

constabulary are pop the question a $ 10,000 reinforcement for info and urge on the populace to call Crime Stoppers at1 - 800 - 577 - TIPSwith any backsheesh .