Former FBI special agent Terry Rankhorn said that some aspects of the gunman’s behavior «paint a picture of a professional killer like Jason Bourne.»
The masked gunman who shot dead the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in a brazen early morning attack on the streets of New York City may have had an accomplice, according to a former FBI special agent.
Brian Thompson, 50, died after being shot at around 6:45 a.m. while walking to the company’s annual investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel. The shooter, who wore a jacket, face mask and large backpack, fled through Midtown on foot before pedaling an electric bike into Central Park a few blocks away, police said, and he remained at large on Friday.
Police haven’t revealed a motive for the shooting, but said that it appears to have been a targeted and premeditated attack. The words «deny», «defend» and «depose» were reportedly found on shell casings recovered from the scene, echoing a phrase that is popular in the insurance industry.
Joseph Kenny, the NYPD chief of detectives, says the shooter arrived outside the hotel about five minutes before Thompson, then waited and ignored other people before he approached Thompson from behind. His pistol jammed after he began firing, but he quickly fixed it and continued firing, Kenny said. The weapon was equipped with a silencer, the Associated Press reported, citing a law enforcement official.
Shortly before the shooting, the suspect was seen purchasing items from a nearby Starbucks. A water bottle and the wrapper of a protein bar were later recovered from a trash can near the scene of the crime and have been sent to the city’s medical examiner for expedited fingerprint testing, the AP reported, citing police.
