Police in New York are hunting a gunman who shot dead a healthcare executive outside a hotel in what was a “brazen targeted attack”.

Brian Thompson, who had been the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021, was killed outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan.

The gunman, who was wearing a face mask, was lying in wait for about five minutes before he approached the 50-year-old victim from behind.

He opened fire several times, shooting him in the back and leg. He then walks towards Mr Thompson and continues to shoot.

Police said the weapon jammed during the attack, which happened at around 6.45am local time on Wednesday. But the shooter cleared the jam and started firing again.

The suspect then fled on foot before getting on a GPS-tracked e-bike and was last seen in Central Park.

Mr Thompson, who lived in Minnesota, was taken to a nearby hospital but could not be saved.

Police are still searching for the suspect and are offering a $10,000 (£7,866) reward for information. Officers also said they did not yet have a motive for the shooting.

Photos taken from CCTV footage shows a man wearing a grey backpack riding a bicycle, and another photo of the individual appearing to be pointing a gun.

The suspect was described as a light-skinned male, wearing a light brown or cream coloured jacket, a black face mask, black and white trainers and distinctive grey rucksack.

Police said there was another person standing next to Mr Thompson when he was attacked outside the hotel, and are in the process of identifying them.

New York City’s police commissioner Jessica Tisch said the shooting was a “brazen, targeted attack”.

“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.

Who was Brian Thompson?

James Sillars

Business and economics reporter

@SkyNewsBiz

Brian Thompson was the boss of UnitedHealth’s insurance division.

He had been at the company, in various roles, for 20 years and had served in his current job since 2021.

Mr Thompson worked under group chief executive Sir Andrew Witty, the experienced British executive best known in the UK for his tenure in charge at pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline in the early 2000s.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare health insurance plans in the United States – policies that holders generally find cause to complain about industry-wide.

Medicare plans cover people aged 65 or older and younger people with disabilities.

America’s healthcare insurance costs rank as the most expensive in the world.

The firm also manages health insurance for companies.

Mr Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said that he had been receiving threats.

“There had been some threats,” she said in a phone call to Sky’s US partner network, NBC News. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”

“I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children,” she added.

The attack happened as the company was scheduled to have its annual meeting with investors on Wednesday morning in the Hilton. Mr Thompson had arrived in New York on Monday to attend the meeting and was staying in a hotel opposite the Hilton.

It is understood Mr Thompson was in charge of organising the conference and was due to speak at the meeting.

“We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members, and as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today,” UnitedHealth’s chief executive Sir Andrew Witty said.

The suspect was described as using a firearm with a silencer, CNBC reported, citing a person familiar with the incident.

UnitedHealthcare is the insurance arm of the healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group.

In a statement, it said: “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.

“Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”

There have been no arrests, and the investigation is active and ongoing.

The scene of the shooting is a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Centre. The popular Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting is set to take place Wednesday evening.

Donald Trump is reportedly considering making Florida governor Ron DeSantis his defence secretary – and ditching his embattled current selection.

The US president-elect had initially announced his intention to nominate Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon, but there is reportedly doubt that he could clear the vote in the Senate needed to be appointed.

Mr Trump’s picks for his cabinet have attracted controversy and there has been speculation that some might struggle to be confirmed.

Matt Gaetz, his initial pick for attorney general, previously announced his withdrawal from the process.

Two sources familiar with the decision-making process told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News that DeSantis, once a rival in the Republican presidential race, could be chosen to replace Mr Hegseth.

Mr DeSantis is “very much in contention”, according to one source.

NBC News reported Mr Hegseth’s nomination was in jeopardy after at least six Republican Senators were wavering in their support.

Mr Hegseth, a Fox News host, has attracted controversy over claims of excessive drinking, financial mismanagement and improper behaviour.

An article in the New Yorker magazine reported that the allegations led to him having to quit leadership roles in two separate non-profit organisations for military veterans.

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Mr DeSantis pulled out of the contest to be the Republican nominee for president in January after falling well behind Mr Trump in the primary campaign.

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In May, a New York jury found Mr Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to commit election fraud.

It was the first time a US president had been convicted of or charged with a criminal offence.

Mr Trump had tried to cover up “hush money” payments to a porn star in the days before the 2016 election.

When Stormy Daniels‘ claims of a sexual liaison threatened to upend his presidential campaign, Trump directed his lawyer to pay $130,000 (£102,000) to keep her quiet.

A judge delayed Mr Trump’s scheduled 26 November sentencing indefinitely last month to give him the chance to seek dismissal.

A dismissal would erase Mr Trump’s historic conviction, sparing him of a criminal record and possible prison sentence.

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The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “has engaged in ‘precisely the type of political theatre’ that President Biden has condemned”, the filing added.

“This case is based on a contrived, defective, and unprecedented legal theory relating to 2017 entries in documents that were maintained hundreds of miles away from the White House where President Trump was running the country.”

The district attorney’s “disruptions to the institution of the presidency violate the presidential immunity doctrine because they threaten the functioning of the federal government,” the filing said.

The prosecutors’ “ridiculous suggestion that they could simply resume proceedings after President Trump leaves office, more than a decade after they commenced their investigation in 2018, is not an option,” the filing claimed.

Mr Trump’s lawyers also claimed the case should be thrown out because of his “extraordinary service” to the US, adding that his “civil and financial contributions to this city and the nation are too numerous to count”.

The president-elect has said he intends to nominate the lawyers who wrote the filing – Todd Blanche and Emil Bove – to top jobs in the justice department, which they criticise in the documents.