CNN is reporting that according to an unnamed source in law enforcement, the person who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan fled on an e-bike, but not a Citi Bike, as NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenney previously said during a press conference.
Thompson had been scheduled to appear at the company’s investor meeting, which was canceled a few hours later. Kenney said it looked like the killer “specifically targeted” Thompson and that “at this point, we do not know why.” The CEO’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that “there had been some threats.”
In an email to The Verge, Lyft spokesperson Eric Smith had said previously that the company was “ready to assist law enforcement.” Had the shooter used one of the bikes owned by Lyft, it might have left a digital trail and GPS data while the shooter was renting or using the vehicle.
These are images of the individual sought in connection to this investigation. If anyone has information as to the identity or location of this individual please contact @NYPDTips at 1(800)577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/sm2GuEOYk1
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 4, 2024
Other updates from CNN’s sources say that investigators have recovered a cell phone from the alley the attacker ran through after the shooting that may belong to them, as well as a bottle of water he was seen purchasing, along with two PowerBars, at a Starbucks just before the attack. Additionally, they said police have video of the suspect from earlier in the morning, “carrying what appears to be a battery for an electric bike.”
Another element is what law enforcement called the attacker’s “distinctive” backpack, which many people believe is Peak Design’s Everyday Backpack V1 in a charcoal or ash color, based on its shape, color, and the straps visible in the pictures from Starbucks.
Earlier this year, UnitedHealthcare suffered a massive ransomware attack, which leaked info on over 100 million people and snarled healthcare for weeks despite a $22 million payment to the attackers.
NYPD shared images of the shooter, including one of them on the bike, and asked that anyone with “information as to the identity or location of this individual” contact police at 1-800-577-TIPS. Police officials had been spotted asking around for video footage of a Citi Bike kiosk on Madison Avenue and 82nd Street in Manhattan early Wednesday afternoon, according to The New York Times.
Update, December 4th: Updated based on the report attacker did not use a Citi Bike, as police previously indicated, and added additional info from CNN.