MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WPIX) – Bullets found on the ground where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot Wednesday had writing on them, police sources told Nexstar’s WPIX.
Three bullets at the scene had the words “defend,” “depose,” and “deny” on them, according to those sources. The New York Police Department is looking into if the words mean anything, they said.
Thompson, 50, was gunned down in front of a Hilton hotel on 54th Street between 6th and 7th avenues in Midtown, the NYPD said. He was walking to the hotel to attend the company’s annual investor conference, which was cut short after the shooting.
The hotel is just blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art.
A masked suspect was waiting for the CEO to arrive at the hotel, according to authorities. Security video showed what appeared to be a silencer on the gun that was fired into Thompson’s back and leg.
One video showed the suspect approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a brief gun jam while the dying health executive tumbled to the pavement.
The gunman then fled into an alleyway between 54th and 55th streets before taking an e-bike into Central Park. A cellphone dropped in the alleyway was collected as evidence, police said.
He was also seen at a Starbucks before the shooting, where he purchased a water bottle, according to authorities.
The NYPD said there is no audio recording of the shooting, so it’s not known if words were exchanged. A motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intense search, but the killer’s whereabouts remained unknown late into the night Wednesday.
Thompson’s wife told NBC News there had been “some threats” made against him.
“I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him,” she said.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information regarding the shooting.
This is a developing story.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
