Video shows masked man pull gun on UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson moments before fatal shooting in New York City
Video has emerged of the moments before the murder of a top healthcare boss on a New York City street in what police believe was a targeted hit.
Brian Thompson is shown walking in Manhattan when the killer appears from behind a car and raises a gun – believed to have been fitted with a silencer – from about 15ft.
After the footage cuts, the gunman is shown running across the street and disappearing. Authorities said the man fled on an electric bike into Central Park.
Mr Thompson was boss of a major US health insurer. Pic: UnitedHealth Group/AP
The attacker fired multiple times at Mr Thompson and continued despite the gun briefly jamming, according to police.
Mr Thompson, 50, was hit at least once in the back and once in the calf during the attack – which happened on Sixth Avenue around 6.45am local time on Wednesday.
He was taken to hospital but couldn’t be saved.
Police issued CCTV images of the suspect
Police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the killer appeared to have been “lying in wait for several minutes” for Mr Thompson.
“This does not appear to be a random act of violence. Every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack,” she said.
CCTV images appear to show a white man wearing all-black clothing and carrying a grey backpack.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny added: “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly.”
Pic: NYPD/Reuters
Drones, helicopters and dogs are now involved in the hunt for the killer.
The scene of the shooting is a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Rockefeller Centre.
Mr Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was chief executive of UnitedHealthcare and was murdered on his way to its investor conference at a nearby Hilton hotel.
Pic: Reuters
Bullets marked out on the pavement on Sixth Avenue. Pic: AP
The motive for the killing is unclear but his wife told NBC News he had been receiving threats and suggested they may have involved issues with insurance coverage.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in America and manages insurance for employers and state and federally-funded programmes.
The company’s conference started at 8am as planned. However, the chief executive of UnitedHealth Group, Andrew Witty, went on stage after an hour to say events were cancelled.
It later removed photos of the leadership team from its website.
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Mr Thompson had worked for the firm since 2004 and had led the insurance arm since 2021.
“We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time,” a company statement said.
“Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
Former US president Joe Biden has prostate cancer, his office has said.
The statement said Mr Biden, who left the White House in January, is reviewing options for treatment with his physicians.
It read: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.
“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.
“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
File pic: Reuters
According to Cancer Research UK, a Gleason score of 9 means the cancerous cells “look very abnormal” and the disease is “likely to grow quickly”.
A source familiar with Mr Biden and his family’s thinking has told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that the former president is considering “multiple treatment options” – including hormone treatment for the cancer.
They added he is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and that as of now, it is unclear where the former president will be treated.
Mr Biden, 82, was the oldest person to ever serve as president, with concerns about his health raised regularly during his campaign for re-election last year.
After a poor debate against Donald Trump in June, he withdrew from the 2024 election and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris.
In February 2023, he had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer.
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A Mexican navy ship has hit the Brooklyn Bridge during a promotional tour in New York City.
The New York Fire Department said authorities were responding to injuries but had no details about how many people might have been hurt or whether they were on the vessel or on the bridge.
Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports that at least three people were seriously injured in the incident.
The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in the accident, which has prevented it from continuing its voyage.
Eyewitness video of the collision posted online showed the mast of the ship, which was flying a large Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge.
Pic: AP
The vessel then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.
The Mexican navy said the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.
The Cuauhtemoc is about 297ft long and 40ft wide, according to the Mexican navy. It sailed for the first time in 1982.
Pic: AP
Each year, it sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training.
It left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on 6 April with 277 people onboard, the navy said at the time.
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One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California, authorities have said.
The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion.
The city’s mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was “either in or near” a vehicle. The deceased’s identity is not known, Palm Springs police said.
Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.
The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added.
“I really have no clue what happened,” he said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”
Debris covers the ground after the explosion. Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP
In a statement posted on Facebook the clinic said it was “heartbroken” to learn someone died in the explosion and added: “Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”
It continued: “Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is.
“In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope – because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.
The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.
“This moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world,” the statement concluded.
Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP
The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT).
A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.
The blast caved in the clinic’s roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road.
Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.
Nima Tabrizi said: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke.”
Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are travelling to the scene to help assess what happened.
California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said.
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