The search for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson since Thompson was ambushed outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on Wednesday has extended beyond New York City. While the FBI is still seeking the suspect’s identity, it has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. That’s in addition to a $10,000 reward offered by the NYPD.
The gunman used a fake ID and paid in cash during the 10 days he was in the city, NYPD Chief Joseph Kenny told reporters Friday. He also kept his face covered except when checking into a hostel. He was captured on some of the thousands of surveillance cameras that blanketed Manhattan, allowing police to create a timeline of his movements.
Here’s what we know so far about what the NYPD is describing as a planned attack.
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November 24
10:11 PM – The suspected shooter arrives in New York City on a Greyhound bus at the Port Authority terminal. The bus originally came from Atlanta and made six or seven stops on the way to New York. Police could not immediately determine where he boarded the bus.
The man then takes a taxi to the grounds of the New York Hilton Midtown and stays there for about half an hour.
Around 11:00 PM — The man takes a taxi to the HI New York City Hostel at 891 Amsterdam Ave., where he remains until the morning of the shooting. He presents an ID that the police believe is fake. Two roommates in a shared bunk room never saw his face, police said, because he kept his mask on.
As he spoke to an employee in the hostel lobby, he briefly pulled down his face mask and smiled — a moment captured on surveillance footage widely distributed by police.
November 29
The man was checked out of the hostel, where guests are automatically checked out if they do not show up at the desk within a certain time. Police do not believe he stayed elsewhere and checked back into the same hostel the next day.
December 4
Approximately 5:30 am – The suspected shooter leaves the hostel well before dawn.
5:41 a.m. – He appears on video at 54th Street and Sixth Avenue walking back and forth near the Hilton hotel where United Healthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, is holding its annual investor conference.
The police deduce that he rode his bicycle to the Hilton because it took him so little time to get there. ‘Could he have stolen the bicycle? These are things we are still looking at,” Kenny said.
At one point, he went to a nearby Starbucks and bought a bottle of water and at least one energy bar before returning to the hotel.
6:44 am – He shoots Thompson as the director arrives alone, on foot, after walking across the street from a hotel. The man flees.
6:48 a.m. — The man enters Central Park on a bicycle via the 60th Street and Center Drive entrance. It is in the park and away from security cameras that police believe he discards a gray backpack.
6:56 a.m. — He leaves the park at West 77th Street and Central Park West, still on his bike.
6:58 a.m. — He passes another camera at 85th Street and Columbus Avenue, still on his bike.
7am – He’s on 86th Street, no longer riding his bike.
7:04 a.m. — He gets into a taxi northbound at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
7:30 AM — It’s near the George Washington Bridge and the bus station there. It offers shuttle services to New Jersey and Greyhound routes to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington.
After the attack, investigators find the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written in permanent marker on ammunition at the scene. The words mimic a phrase used by critics of the insurance industry.
December 6
Kenny and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch reveal that investigators believe the shooter left New York City on a bus. Investigators say he entered the George Washington Bridge bus station but have found no video of him leaving or boarding a bus.
“It could possibly be a disgruntled employee, or a dissatisfied customer,” Kenny said of a possible motive in a briefing.
The police discover that it is the man’s backpack. Its contents are not disclosed.
December 7
Police continue to search Central Park; Divers are seen searching a pond. The NYPD releases additional photos showing the suspected shooter next to and in the backseat of a taxi. In both images, he can be seen wearing a blue medical-style face mask.
Despite recovering a fingerprint from the Starbucks purchase and sending items for DNA testing, police have not yet publicly identified the suspect.
December 8
Divers are spotted again at a pond in Central Park. The police do not want to comment on the investigation.
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