US healthcare executive shot dead outside Manhattan hotel

An executive at a major US healthcare company has been shot dead in Manhattan.

Brian Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the chest at 6.46am local time on Wednesday outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan. He had been the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare since April 2021.

Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, said it appears the shooting was "a targeted murder".

The suspect was described as using a firearm with a silencer, Sky's US partner network CNBC reported, citing a person familiar with the incident.

The suspect was a white man wearing a black hoodie, black trousers, black trainers with a white trim and a grey backpack, they added.

Parent company UnitedHealth did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

UnitedHealth cancelled the remainder of its annual meeting with investors in New York City where it was updating Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year.

It is understood Mr Thompson was due to speak at 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," UnitedHealth's chief executive Sir Andrew Witty said.

Sir Andrew is the former boss of GlaxoSmithKline in the UK.

There have been no arrests, and the investigation is active and ongoing.

Mr Thompson joined the UnitedHealth Group in 2004.

He previously served as chief executive of UnitedHealthcare government programmes.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US and also manages health insurance coverage for employers, and state- and federally funded Medicaid programmes.

The scene of the shooting is a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Centre.

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