Officials are following a number of new leads as the manhunt for the person who fatally shot Brian Thompson is on its third day.
Topline
The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the gunman who fatally shot Brian Thompson, the agency announced, marking the latest development after what police said was a “brazen targeted attack” on the chief executive of health insurer UnitedHealthcare in Manhattan earlier this week.Key Facts
Thompson was shot in the back and right calf outside of the New York Hilton Midtown just before 7 a.m. Wednesday morning and was rushed to Mount Sinai West in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead, NYPD officials said at a press conference Wednesday.
Authorities found the backpack in Central Park on Friday evening as part of a large search involving officers and drones, according to ABC News, though CNN reported investigators are still determining if the backpack is connected to the suspect.
Police told CNN on Friday they have “reason to believe” the suspected gunman has left New York City, at least in part because they think he took a cab to the Port Authority bus center from which interstate buses leave.
A senior law enforcement official told The New York Times on Thursday the shooter used a fake New Jersey ID on Nov. 30 to book a room at an Upper West Side hostel he stayed at before killing Thompson.
Detectives obtained DNA evidence that is now being examined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, The New York Times reported Friday, but it’s unclear where the DNA was taken from and whether it will match existing DNA in a law enforcement database.
Police also recovered a burner phone and water bottle in an alley near where the shooting took place, that could give fingerprints or information on who the shooter is if police can unlock the phone, CNN reported, citing anonymous officials.
