NEW YORK CITY — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot Wednesday morning outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, just hours before he was scheduled to speak at an investor meeting, according to police and witnesses.
The shooting occurred at approximately 6:45 a.m. on 6th Avenue, near 53rd Street, as the city prepared for the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Authorities said Thompson, 50, was struck in the chest by a masked gunman who fled the scene on foot, heading south down the busy avenue.
Emergency responders transported Thompson to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The NYPD is treating the incident as a targeted attack, though no suspects have been named, and investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from the area.
Thompson, who earned $10 million annually as CEO of the health insurance giant UnitedHealthcare, had led the company since 2021. He was in New York to attend the investor event scheduled for later in the day at the Hilton Hotel, a venue located in one of the city’s busiest areas, particularly during the holiday season.
“This was a brazen act of violence in the heart of Manhattan,” said one law enforcement source, who noted the attack took place amid heightened holiday security in the neighborhood.
Police are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward as the investigation unfolds.