What we know
- Investigators believe the man sought in connection with yesterday's shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson may have traveled to New York City from Atlanta by bus last month, law enforcement officials told NBC News.
- Police in New York City today released two new photos of a person of interest as the manhunt for the masked gunman continues.
- "Deny," "defend" and "depose" were written on shell casings at the scene, a senior New York City law enforcement official said.
- The gunman bought a water bottle and two protein bars from a nearby Starbucks before the shooting and discarded the items, according to a senior New York City law enforcement official.
Thompson's murder sparks online praise and hate
Tens of thousands of people have expressed support on social media for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, or sympathized with it, in what at least one researcher called a worrying sign of radicalization among segments of the U.S. population.
“And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” Taylor Lorenz, a former New York Times and Washington Post journalist, wrote on Bluesky a few hours after Thompson was gunned down in Manhattan by a man with a silenced pistol. After a backlash, Lorenz later posted, “no, that doesn’t mean people should murder them.”
The Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University identified thousands of similar posts on X within hours of the killing. The posts, which could have been viewed by more than 8.3 million accounts, got 180,000 likes and 24,400 reposts, according to the institute.
UnitedHealth Group says it's focused on Thompson's family, company's patients
The day after Thompson was shot and killed, UnitedHealth Group said it is focused on supporting his family, ensuring the safety of its employees and working with law enforcement to "bring the perpetrator to justice."
"So many patients, consumers, health care professionals, associations, government officials and other caring people have taken time out of their day to reach out," the company said in a statement today. "We are thankful, even as we grieve."
UnitedHealth said it will continue to serve those who "depend on us for their healthcare."
Law enforcement luncheon set for Hilton where CEO was shot
As law enforcement officials continue to search for the gunman who killed Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan, the site is preparing to host an annual federal law enforcement luncheon tomorrow.
The annual event is a gathering of federal and local law enforcement members.
Americans are expressing anger and frustration toward health insurance companies after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO.
Greyhound cooperating with authorities
After officials said investigators believe the gunman may have traveled to New York by bus, Greyhound told NBC News in a statement that it was "fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation."
A spokesperson said the company was not able to give more information, citing the investigation.
Officials are working to determine whether they can find a passenger name among the tickets purchased for an Atlanta-to-New York trip late last month.
Man sought in shooting may have traveled to NYC from Atlanta last month
Investigators believe the man sought in connection with yesterday's shooting may have traveled to New York City from Atlanta by bus last month, three senior law enforcement officials familiar with the case told NBC News.
Officials are working to see whether they can find a name from the tickets purchased for a Nov. 24 Greyhound trip that might help identify the gunman.
Executives seek more protection after CEO's killing, Kroll says
Chief executives and other high-level corporate officers are seeking additional security protection after the brazen slaying of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, according to a top risk management firm.
“We had CEOs and other executive-level and board members reaching out to us all throughout yesterday and today to increase their own executive protection, their own personal security around the clock, 24/7,” said Matthew Dumpert, managing director at Kroll Enterprise Security Risk Management.
“An executive is the face of the organization,” he said in an interview. "A CEO is the lightning rod that attracts the ire regardless of the product or services sold.”
Thompson was killed amid an increase in threats to people in the health care industry.
“The ire and the animosity that our front-line health care workers experience every day in the hospital in the critical care environment does extend to the insurance industry to a degree,” Dumpert said. “And it’s because a lot of those same red flag indicators of potential violence.”
Neighbor says CEO traveled frequently, lived apart from his wife
In an interview today, a business owner who lives down the block from Thompson's house in suburban Minnesota said the health care CEO didn't seem to be home much. Thompson appeared to travel a lot for his job, neighbor Jim Pitzner said.
Pitzner said Thompson and his wife lived in different houses in Whistling Pines, a leafy neighborhood in the suburb of Maple Grove. In recent weeks, ahead of Thompson's fateful trip to New York City, nothing that happened in the neighborhood struck Pitzner as out of the ordinary.
Whistling Pines is a small, close-knit community of 26 houses on one road. If there was law enforcement or private security activity at Thompson's house, Pitzner never saw it.
"We would notice if something stood out," he said.
CEO's family say they are 'shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian'
Thompson’s family said in a statement that they are “shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian.”
“Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” the family said in a statement obtained by NBC affiliate KARE of Minneapolis.
They called Thompson “an incredibly loving father” who “will be greatly missed.”
“We appreciate your condolences and request complete privacy as our family moves through this difficult time,” the statement said.
Police say bomb threat in CEO's hometown 'appears to be a hoax'
Police in Thompson’s hometown, Maple Grove, Minnesota, received a report of a bomb threat yesterday at residences on 62nd and 63rd avenues but did not find any devices or suspicious items.
Maple Grove police said in a news release that the incident appears to have been a hoax and is still under investigation.