NEW YORK – United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed in a shooting Wednesday morning outside a hotel in Midtown, Manhattan, the NYPD says.
A spokesperson for United Health told CBS News the shooting happened during the company’s investors conference.
Shots were fired shortly before 7 a.m. outside the Hilton Midtown hotel on Sixth Avenue near West 54th Street. More than a dozen officers responded and blocked off West 54th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues for the morning commute.
Police said the 50-year-old was shot once in the chest. He was rushed to a hospital, but did not survive his injuries.
Investigators are now searching for the gunman, who took off wearing a white colored jacket and black hat.
The hotel is located in a busy area, just blocks away from Rockefeller Center, where the annual tree lighting ceremony will be held Wednesday night.
One witness said he was sitting inside his car when he heard the gunshots.
“I was looking at my phone and I hear the shot,” he said. “I was shocked, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a crime right in front of me. Now I fear he could shoot me too.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls are kept confidential.
Stick with CBS News New York for the latest updates on this developing story.
