NEW YORK (AP) — The masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of America’s largest health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and ” file,” a law enforcement official. said Thursday.
The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
LEARN MORE: United Healthcare CEO kept a low profile before being killed in New York attack.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died Wednesday in a dawn ambush on his way to the company’s annual investor conference at a Midtown Hilton hotel, just blocks away tourist attractions like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art.
The words about ammo could refer to strategies used by insurance companies to try to avoid paying claims.
Investigators recovered several 9mm shell casings outside the hotel and a cellphone in the alley through which the shooter fled, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said earlier.
The killing and the shooter’s movements in the minutes before and after were captured on video by some of the multitudes of security cameras in that part of the city.
The search for the shooter led New York police Thursday morning to visit at least two hostels on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, based on reports that the suspected shooter may have been staying at one of the residences , according to a second law enforcement official briefed on the incident. investigation, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing research.
Two detectives arrived at the Kama Central Park hostel at 7 a.m. Thursday with a photo of the shooter and asked staff if they recognized the man, an employee confirmed to the AP. They didn’t, the employee said, and the detectives left. An employee at the nearby HI New York City hostel also confirmed that police were at the scene on Thursday, but declined to provide further information.
The reason for Thompson’s ambush remained unknown.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Wednesday that while investigators have not yet established a motive, the shooting was not a random act of violence. “Many people passed the suspect, but he seemed to be waiting for his target,” she said.
Investigators believe, judging from surveillance video and evidence collected at the scene, that the shooter had at least some prior firearms training and experience with firearms and that the The gun was equipped with a silencer, said one of the law enforcement officials who spoke to the AP.
Investigators are also looking into whether the suspect had prepositioned a bicycle as part of an escape plan, the official said. The shooter fled on a bicycle and was last seen heading to Central Park.
Authorities were conducting DNA and fingerprint analyzes on items found nearby, including a water bottle, which they believe the suspect may have disposed of, the official said.
Security camera video showed the killer approaching Thompson from behind, pointing his pistol and firing several shots, barely stopping to clear a gun jam as the health official fell on the sidewalk.
Other cameras filmed the first stages of the shooter’s escape. He fled the block, crossing a pedestrian plaza, then fled on his bicycle. Police have used drones, helicopters and dogs to conduct an intensive search, but the whereabouts of the killer remain unknown.
Police released several surveillance images of the man, who was wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that hid most of his face and would not have attracted attention on a frigid day. Some photos were taken at a Starbucks shortly before filming. Police have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The insurer’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., based in Minnetonka, Minn., was holding its annual investor meeting to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference shortly after Thompson’s death.
Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and was CEO for more than three years.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” UnitedHealth Group said in a statement. “We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “that some people were threatening him.” She did not have details, but suggested the threats could be linked to insurance coverage issues.
Eric Werner, the police chief of the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the United States and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.
Balsamo reported from Washington.