Police are closing in on the identity of the man suspected of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, sources told ABC News.
Authorities released images on Thursday from surveillance cameras at the HI New York City Hostel located on West 103rd Street on the Upper West Side, where the suspect allegedly stayed with two other men.
The breakthrough came when a hostel worker asked the man to smile while checking in, prompting him to lower his face mask for a brief moment, allowing the camera to capture his face. Investigators later identified him as the suspect.
Police sources revealed that the man used a New Jersey driver’s license that didn’t belong to him to check into the hostel. However, the suspect has been recently linked to Atlanta, Georgia. Law enforcement indicated that he arrived in New York last month by Greyhound bus from Atlanta, entering via the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
Despite arriving before November 30, when he checked into the hostel, detectives are continuing their investigation, reviewing additional surveillance footage to track his movements prior to the shooting.
On the morning of December 6, Thompson, 50, was shot at close range outside a Hilton Hotel where he had been attending a conference.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the attack a “brazen, targeted” and “premeditated” act. Bullet casings found at the scene bore the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” but the motive remains unclear.
The gun used in the shooting, a B&T Station Six, was designed for nearly silent shots but requires manual cycling of ammunition. Detectives are working to trace the weapon, with one of the same type recently sold in Connecticut.
Police also found a phone believed to belong to the suspect in an alley where he fled on foot. Surveillance footage from just before the shooting shows a person matching the suspect’s description exiting a subway station near the crime scene.
After waiting outside the Hilton Hotel, the shooter attacked Thompson, who had exited his hotel and walked toward the Hilton. The assailant continued to shoot after a gun malfunction, clearing the jam before firing again.
The shooter then fled on a bike, riding into Central Park. Police also discovered footage showing him with what appeared to be an e-bike battery outside the Frederick Douglass Houses earlier that morning. Investigators are trying to determine if he prepositioned the bike and took the subway to the scene.
At the crime scene, police recovered a water bottle and candy wrapper, which are being tested for fingerprints and DNA.
In a statement, Thompson’s wife, Paulette, expressed her devastation over his death, remembering him as a loving father and generous man. Neighbors described Brian Thompson as an “impressive” person and someone who was highly respected in his professional life.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
