Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan where he was scheduled to address an investor meeting Wednesday morning, according to a person familiar with the investigation.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Police have not released the victim’s name, but they said the 50-year-old man was shot about 6:45 a.m. outside the Hilton before the gunman fled.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital but died.
A preliminary police investigation indicated the shooting was not accidental, Mayor Eric Adams said.
“It appears to be a targeted killing,” he said.
UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company was scheduled to hold its annual investor meeting in New York to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year.
The part of the block where the shooting occurred was cordoned off with police tape, and a large number of police officers were at the scene. Many security cameras are nearby.
Thompson has been CEO for more than three years and has been with the company since 2004.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the United States and manages employer-sponsored health insurance and state and federally funded Medicaid programs, AA writes.
