26-year-old arrested in Pa. with a weapon ‘consistent with’ the gun used to kill the UnitedHealthcare CEO

UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson50, was killed last Wednesday in what police said was a “brazen, targeted” attack as he walked alone to the Hilton from a nearby hotel where UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor conference, police said.

The gunman appeared to have “lay in wait for several minutes” before approaching the boss from behind and opens fireNYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. He used a 9mm handgun, which police said was similar to the weapons farmers use to kill animals without making a loud noise.

In the days after the shooting, police turned to the public for help by releasing a collection of nine photos and video — including footage of the attack as well as photos of the suspect at a Starbucks beforehand.

On Monday, police credited news media for spreading the photos and the tipster for recognizing the suspect and calling authorities.

“Fortunately, a Pennsylvania citizen recognized the subject and called local members of the Altoona Police Department responded to the call and based on their investigation, they notified the NYPD,” Kenny said.

Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the suspect laughing after removing his mask, police said.

Investigators previously suggested the gunman may have been a disgruntled employee or client of the insurance company. Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “decline,” and “put off,” imitates a phrase used by the insurance industry’s critics.

The gunman hid his identity with a mask during the shooting but left a trail of evidence, including a backpack he threw in Central Park, a cell phone found in a crosswalk and a water bottle and protein bar wrappers police say he bought at Starbucks minutes. before the attack.

Friday the police found the backpack that they say the killer ditched as he fled the crime scene to a downtown bus station, where they believe he left town on a bus.

Goes back on the steps of the weapon Using surveillance video, investigators say the shooter fled into Central Park on a bicycle, exited the park without his backpack and then dropped the bicycle.

He then walked a few blocks and got into a cab, arriving at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, which is near the northern tip of Manhattan and offers commuter service to New Jersey and Greyhound routes to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, Kenny said.

The FBI announced late Friday that it was offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to a reward of up to $10,000 that the NYPD has offered.

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Associated Press writers Mark Scolforo, Mike Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio contributed to this report.