UnitedHealthcare CEO killed in ‘targeted shooting’ in NYC; company has strong CT connection

Hartford Courant – Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Staff Report

NEW YORK — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday morning in what police said was a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer — one of Connecticut’s largest — was holding an investor conference.

The 50-year-old executive was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said.

The gunman appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police had not yet established a motive.

“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said, adding that the shooting “does not appear to be a random act of violence.”

Thompson was struck at least once in the back and once in the calf, Tisch said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and carrying a distinct gray backpack, then fled on foot down an alleyway before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away. The shooter was at large, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare,” the insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement.

“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the company said. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”

The fatal attack sent shockwaves throughout the business community with one local expert observing that something that was all violently real seemed like it was something out a television crime drama.

David Cadden, professor emeritus of entrepreneurship and strategy at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, said violence against corporate chief executives is “extremely rare” in the United States and, generally, across in North America.

One notable exception, Cadden said, was the slaying of a drug company CEO and his wife in Canada in 2017.

Barry Sherman, the founder and chief executive of generic drugmaker Apotex Inc., and his wife, Honey, were found dead in their Toronto mansion.

Sherman, a billionaire and high-profile philanthropist, and his wife were discovered hanging by belts from a railing that surrounded their indoor pool., according to multiple published reports.

The case has not been solved.

The New York Hilton Midtown, where Thompson was shot, is a short walk from tourist sites, including Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Modern Art, and is often dense with tourists and workers on weekday mornings. Part of the block where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police tape, with a large contingent of police officers at the scene. Many security cameras are nearby.

Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the suspect pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Police offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

The killing shook a part of New York City that’s normally quiet at that hour, happening about four blocks from where tens of thousands of people are set to gather Wednesday night for the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting.

Police sought to reassure New Yorkers and promised extra security for the tree lighting, which will go on as scheduled.

“We’re encouraging New Yorkers to go about their daily lives and their daily business but to be alert,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.

Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the suspect fled.

They were also searching Thompson’s hotel room and interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that the executive told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.”

She said she didn’t have details, but suggested they may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
Quinnipiac’s Cadden said he foresees a jump in security measures for top corporate executives.

In the past, beefed-up security may have leaned more heavily on such industries as pharmaceuticals, health insurance and defense, Cadden said

But now — at least in the near-term — those measures will likely become more widespread.

“All of a sudden, you’re going to see that everyone is going to take a look at ‘do we have in-house security and do we need to get a contract with an external security firm?’ “ Cadden said. “External security firms are going to be doing a bumper business over the next year.”

Cadden said a threatening letter or email is going to be examined in a much different light.

“This is going to put a scare into everyone, and they are going to be taking a look at any letter that they get” and that could set off heightened security,” Cadden said.

UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. and is a major employer in Connecticut.

The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company was scheduled to have its annual meeting with investors in New York City to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year, according to a company media advisory. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson’s death.

“I’m afraid that we — some of you may know we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” a company official told attendees, according to a transcript. “And as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today. … I’m sure you’ll understand.”

Thompson had served as CEO for more than three years and had been with the company since 2004.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs.

In Connecticut, UnitedHealth Group, the parent of UnitedHealthcare, has a 20% share of the state’s commercial health insurance market, in which policies are sold through private employers, according to the American Medical Association, based on 2023 data.

UnitedHealth was second only to Elevance Health, the former Anthem, Inc, which has a 37% market share, the AMA said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tweeted that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”

“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.

Access this article at its original source.