UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot outside Hilton hotel in Midtown in possible targeted attack: sources

The CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance division was gunned down Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown in what police say was a targeted attack. 

Brian Thompson, 50, was at the hotel around 6:46 a.m., arriving early for a conference, when a masked man allegedly waiting for the CEO repeatedly shot at him along Sixth Avenue before dashing off on a bicycle, police sources told The Post. 

Thompson was hit in the chest, prompting a desperate attempt by first responders to save him with CPR, harrowing video shows. 

He was rushed in critical condition to the Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said. 

A surveillance photo obtained by The Post shows the moment the hooded shooter aims a gun outside the swanky hotel at West 54th Street and Sixth Avenue. 

Another surveillance photo shows the suspected gunman, who is wearing a backpack, peddle off on a bicycle.

Mayor Eric Adams sought to reassure New Yorkers that the shooting wasn’t a random act of violence in one of the most visible and highly trafficked places in the country.

“It appears as though this was a targeted murder,” he said during an unrelated news conference.

“It seemed to have been clearly targeted by an individual, and we will apprehend that individual.”

Andrew Witty, CEO of parent company UnitedHealth Group, said the firm had been holding its Investor Day conference at the hotel on Wednesday, which Thompson was attending. 

The conference was abruptly called off due to “a very serious medical situation” with one of its team members, Witty said in a statement. 

Officials said no arrests have been made yet and that the investigation is ongoing.

The suspect was described as a white male wearing a cream-colored jacket, black face mask, and black and white sneakers. Officials said he was carrying a gray backpack. 

Witnesses told The Post the suspect had been spotted near the vicinity of the hotel, on 6th Avenue, milling around. 

Sources said the shooter wasn’t a guest at the hotel but it is unclear if he had other business there.

When the suspect spotted Thompson, he began to fire from a distance, striking him multiple times, police sources added. 

The masked man then fled through the Ziegfeld alleyway and hopped on a bike to escape. 

Thompson, who had worked with UnitedHealth for the last 20 years, took the role of CEO in 2021 and was based at its offices in Minnetonka, Minnesota, according to his LinkedIn account.  

When promoting Thompson, Witty praised his commitment to the company, which serves as the largest private health insurer in the US.

“Brian’s experience, relationships and values make him especially well-suited to help UnitedHealthcare improve how healthcare works for consumers, physicians, employers, governments and our other partners, leading to continued and sustained long-term growth,” Witty said at the time.

The exec lived in a five-bedroom home that he purchased in the North Star State in 2018 for $1 million, according to Zillow.  

Thompson previously served as the company’s head of government programs, including Medicare and retirement.

The UnitedHealth Group, which employs more than 100,000 people across America, is ranked fourth in the Fortune 500.

The company did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Prior to joining UnitedHealth, Thompson spent six years in Minneapolis at PwC, an auditing and accounting firm. 

Additional reporting by Haley Brown