The suspected gunman was wanted in a broad daylight murder. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson New surveillance photos released Thursday by the New York City Police Department show him smiling.
Two new photos released by the NYPD show the face of the unidentified man for the first time as the search continues into a second day.
“With these new photos, if they are indeed the shooter, it’s only a matter of time,” Fox News crime analyst Paul Morrow told Fox News Digital. “Facial recognition and other technologies have come a long way, and my sense is that the police are making progress on other fronts. It’s more true than ever that you can’t get away with murder these days. . Detective catch whoever is behind it, and quickly.”
The NYPD was seen searching a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and a Brazilian tourist staying there told Fox News he believed Thompson’s killer was in the room next to him.
A vice president of Hostelling International USA, which runs the “HI New York City Hostel,” however, did not confirm the suspect’s stay there.
“We are cooperating fully with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, cannot comment at this time,” Daniel Brumft Norris, vice president of Hostelling International USA, said in a statement.
The hostel’s floor design matches the same black and white checker pattern seen in wanted photos shared by the NYPD.
A general view of the HI Hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, NY on Thursday, December 5, 2024. (Jennifer Mitchell for Fox News Digital)
New evidence also suggests that the suspect who killed Thompson on Wednesday may have left a message behind bullet marks at the scene.
A screenshot of surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the suspect wanted in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, in midtown Manhattan. . (NYPD Crime Stoppers)
Police sources told the New York Post that the live rounds and casings left behind by the killer after being shot had the words “denied,” “deposed” and “defended” written on them.
A screenshot of surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the alleged suspect wanted in the Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)
Sources said evidence also showed that each pill and casing had only one word written on it, leading them to believe that he might be trying to leave a message. The Associated Press reported that the word ammunition may be a reference to strategies that insurance companies use to avoid paying claims.
A member of the NYPD Crime Scene Unit photographs a shell casing found at the scene where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
In a shocking video obtained by Fox News Digital, Thompson is seen walking down. New York City on the sidewalk when a masked man wearing a black hooded jacket and carrying a backpack walks up behind him and brandishes a handgun.
Photos of the suspects inside the Starbucks:
gave The perpetrator fired several shots. At one point the gun appeared to jam. The assailant was then seen walking towards the victim pointing a gun to the side, who was trying to escape.
The scene near the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, New York, where a man was shot and killed early Wednesday morning, according to police. The victim is believed to be in his 50s, said Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
After the shooting, the suspect walked between two vehicles, got on a motorcycle, then disappeared into Central Park, the NYPD said.
It was previously reported that the suspect Used city bike. — which can be traced — but the NYPD has clarified that this type of motorcycle was not involved in the incident.
John Walsh explains why he doesn’t think UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was killed by a PRO | Fox News video
Surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the alleged suspect wanted in the Wednesday, December 4, 2024, shooting death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan. (NYPD)
Investigators hope evidence left behind will help identify him, including a Cell phone discovery in an alley near the hotel where the shooting took place, as well as a cup in a trash can at a nearby Starbucks.
A surveillance photo released by the NYPD shows the suspect in the Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (NYPD Crimestoppers)
UnitedHealth Group released a statement expressing its condolences and surprise at the day’s events.
This 2017 file photo of Brian Thompson was released by Businesswire after he was named chief executive officer of the UnitedHealthcare Unit in 2017. (Business Wire)
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We at the New York Police We ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all those who were close to him.”
Click here to get the Fox News app.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS, or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA. Tips can also be submitted by visiting the Crime Stoppers website.
Fox News’ Tamara Gutt and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.