Brian Thompson died from a fatal shooting in Manhattan, New York. Now, his wife has spoken up and says that the UnitedHealthcare CEO received some anonymous threats prior to being shot outside of the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown.
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This incident occurred during the early morning of Wednesday, December 4, just as Brian left to attend the annual investor UnitedHealthcare conference.
Threats Leading Up To Deadly Shooting
Paulette Thompson, wife of the late Brian Thompson, spoke to NBC News in her first statements to the press. "There had been some threats," she mentioned over the phone. "I don't know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."
A masked, unidentified man shot Brian in the chest while he waited outside his hotel for him. He opened fire 20 feet away from Brian, according to CNN, as the CEO was leaving to visit his conference. Investigators don't believe that the suspect was a guest at the annual conference.
According to the New York Post, the suspect had a grey backpack, a cream-colored jacket, black and white sneakers, and a black mask covering his face. Witnesses also spotted the gunman lurking around 6th Avenue, which was near the hotel.
First responders rushed the 50-year-old CEO to Mount Sinai Hospital. They soon pronounced him dead after he succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.
Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, announced soon after that they would be shutting down the conference. "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."
No arrests have been made at the time, but now with the knowledge of there being threats made to the UnitedHealthcare CEO, the police believe this to be a targeted attack.
"I can't really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I'm trying to console my children," Paulette added.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is a multinational health insurance and services company. Based in Minnesota, UnitedHealthcare works under the group to sell insurance products. According to Fortune Global 500, it's ranked eighth as the world's largest healthcare company based on revenue.
