NYPD has clear footage of the killer who opened fire on UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan … but only from behind the suspect.
Cops released the surveillance images captured Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel on 6th Ave and 54th Street … and it shows 50-year-old Thompson strolling into the hotel by himself around 6:45 AM. The shooter walks up behind him, draws a handgun and starts shooting from less than 10 feet away.
It appears the suspect fired his weapon, which was fitted with a silencer, at least 3 times … before fleeing into an alleyway on the other side of the street. Police say he made his getaway on a bicycle, which was captured on a different surveillance camera, and rode into Central Park … just a few blocks away.
Witnesses have said the cold-blooded killer was masked, and had been waiting outside the hotel for at least several minutes before Thompson arrived. The footage seems to support NYPD’s theory that this was a targeted hit.
TMZ.com
The challenge for police is none of the surveillance images they’ve released have a clear view of the suspect’s face — he was wearing a hoodie with a gray backpack — and the footage does not include any audio.
Later Wednesday the NYPD released a surveillance picture of the suspect taken at a Starbucks store down the street from the hotel — the suspect’s eyes and the top of his nose are visible above his mask. The photo was reportedly taken before the shooting occurred.
Cops say they recovered three 9-millimeter rounds and shell casings from the crime scene. They’re offering a $10,000 reward for any info leading to the suspect’s arrest and conviction — while also working with UnitedHealthcare to figure out a possible motive … including any recent threats or disgruntled ex-employees of the health insurance giant.
Thompson was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
