NEW YORK — A man in Pennsylvania is being questioned in connection with the murder from the CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson in New York City, police sources told CBS News New York. Sources say he was spotted at a McDonald’s by someone who had seen photos of the person of interest in the case.
After Thompson, 50, was fatally shot outside the Hilton Midtown hotel on December 4, the NYPD identified himself a person of interest who they said used a fake New Jersey ID to check into a hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Investigators later said they believed the person in question had left New York City. possibly on a bus headed to Atlanta.
A source close to the investigation said a person of interest was questioned about Thompson’s killing after Pennsylvania authorities took him into custody over an unrelated incident in Altoona. The person questioned was in possession of a firearm with a matching silencer a description of the weapon used to kill Thompson, and a fake New Jersey driver’s license, sources said.
Two law enforcement sources said a person at a McDonald’s restaurant called Pennsylvania police after seeing a man who resembled the person wanted by the NYPD. Local authorities responded and detained the man on suspicion of illegal weapons possession while investigators try to confirm if he is the alleged gunman who shot Thompson.
Police have not confirmed whether the man being questioned is the same person seen at the hostel.
This weekend, NYPD continued to search Central Park for clues, specifically the gun used to kill Thompson, but were unsuccessful. Researchers discovered what they think it is on Friday the backpack of the suspected shooter at the park, law enforcement officials told CBS News.
Shocking murder captured on video
Thompson’s murder outside the Hilton on Sixth Avenue near West 54th Street in Midtown Manhattan was captured on surveillance video. It showed Thompson walking down the street and the gunman who appeared behind him. The gunman wields a pistol with a silencer on it and takes aim and fire, shooting Thompson in the back. As Thompson falls, the shooter appears to clear a jam in the weapon, aim and fire again. The gun then apparently jams again, before the shooter clears the round and fires again before crossing the street.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the killing a “premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack” as the department launched an all-out manhunt and offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The FBI also offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“Many people passed by the suspect, but he appeared to be waiting for his intended target,” Tisch said said at a news conference the day of the murder. “The New York City Police Department’s full investigative efforts are underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case.”
The researchers quickly came together a timeline of the shooting, including the suspect’s movements and escape route.
The next day, Police have released images of a person they wanted to question in connection with the murder as she did focused on the hostel where he reportedly resided.
Pat Milton and Marcia Kramer contributed to this report.
