Unmasked photos of smiling suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing released

NYPD released new photos of the suspect in the murder of CEO Brian Thompson, showing him grinning before firing shots.

Newly released photos of the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson show a smiling gunman, whose face was previously hidden under a mask. Thompson was killed Wednesday morning right before an investor meeting scheduled for the same day. The images, taken at a youth hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, come as the NYPD intensifies its search for the shooter, who was seen fleeing the scene of the crime early morning.

A poster is attached to a lamp post outside the Hilton hotel near the scene where the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson was shot dead in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City, U.S., December 5, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Segar(REUTERS)

Suspect in Brian Thompson killing ‘seen grinning’

Thompson’s murder has been classified by police as a "targeted killing," though the motive remains unknown and the gunman is still on the run. Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information on the suspect and his whereabouts. Earlier Thursday, police revealed they had uncovered an image of the suspect without his mask and head covered with the same hoodie spotted in earlier photos, as reported by CNN. Around 11:20 a.m. ET, the NYPD shared two new photos of the killer on X, one of which shows the suspect smiling.

“Below are photos of a person of interest wanted for questioning regarding the Midtown Manhattan homicide on Dec. 4.” the authorities said in a post alongside the photos. “This does not appear to be a random act of violence; all indications are that it was a premeditated, targeted attack,” the statement continued.

NYPD/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY(via REUTERS)

An undated New York City Police Department (NYPD) handout image obtained by Reuters on December 5, 2024, shows an individual wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of UnitedHeatlhcare CEO Brian Thompson, in an unknown location. (via REUTERS)

Earlier, surveillance cameras captured the suspect dressed in all black outside the Frederick Douglass Houses. Later, police reported spotting him at a Starbucks, the popular coffee chain, on West 56th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan, roughly 30 minutes before Thompson’s death on Wednesday morning.

Suspect left cryptic messages on bullets behind

The suspect in the murder of the Minnesota-based CEO, Brian Thompson, is believed to have used a silencer on the weapon during the attack and reportedly left behind key clues trying to convey something. The masked individual spotted carrying a “luxury” backpack, abandoned shell casings at the crime scene outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. These casings were engraved with the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend,” according to the investigators.