Police Release Unmasked Photos of Smiling Assassin in the Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO

The New York Police Department is releasing new photos of the man suspected of fatally shooting the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, at midtown Manhattan. In a post on X on Thursday, the NYPD released two pictures of the suspect at the hostel officials say he was staying at before the shooting Thompson. Law enforcement told CNN the suspect largely kept his mask and hood on while he was at the hostel.However, they did CCTV footage where he did not have a mask on. In both photos released by the police department, the man is wearing a jacket with his head covered by a hood. In one picture, a significant portion of his face is visible, as he is seen with a large smile. In another photo, his face is seen from a more head-on perspective but still slightly obscured by his hood. Courtesy of the New York Police DepartmentThe photos come as law enforcement’s manhunt for the gunman stretches into its second day. On Wednesday, Thompson was on his way to the New York Hilton Hotel in a suit and tie for an annual UnitedHealthcare investor conference shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday when he was fatally shot by a masked gunman, who police say was lying in wait for “several minutes.”Surveillance camera video of the shooting shows Thompson walking down the sidewalk when the gunman emerges from behind an SUV and opens fire, striking him in the back. As the shooting unfolded, a bystander fled the scene as the gunman remained focused on Thompson. The video appears to show the suspect racking the slide of his firearm multiple times as he walked toward Thompson. Law enforcement says the firearm malfunctioned during the attack, but the gunman was able to clear the gun and continue shooting. Witnesses say the gunman appeared to have a silencer on his firearm.Law enforcement officials told ABC News that they do not believe the gunman was a professional killer. They also told ABC and other news outlets that investigators recovered bullet casings with the words “delay” and “depose” written on them.The disclosure of the words sparked speculation that they referred to a reported popular phrase in the healthcare insurance industry, “delay, deny, defend,” when companies deny claims, which some commentators and analysts suggested could point to a motive. Officials have described the shooting as targeted but have not offered an official comment on the gunman’s motives for the shootings. Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that there “had been some threats” against her husband before the shooting. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him,” she said.No arrests have been made as of Thursday morning. However, police say they recovered a cellphone and a water bottle near the scene of the shooting, which could help them determine the identity of the shooter.

Police Release Unmasked Photos of Smiling Assassin in the Shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO

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