UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson murder: Cops have 200 pics of assassin and give 5-word update

Officers with the NYPD have announced that they are planning to "widen the search" for the shooter who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. CBS reported that officials are now planning to initiate a manhunt for the killer in multiple states.

"We're gonna get this guy," one official told the outlet. It was also reported that due to the case's notoriety, the FBI is likely to take over from local police. CBS also reported that they have over 200 photos of the assailant that cover his arrival in New York City to the scene of the homicide and finally, his escape route.

It was reported that the images have been distributed to 80 police departments across the US. According to the official, the states of Connecticut and New Jersey have also joined in on the manhunt.

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One of the photos issued by police shows the man flashing a smile hours prior to the shooting in what many officials are calling a premeditated attack. During a press conference on Wednesday hours after the shooting, authorities said the shooting did not appear to be a "random act of violence."

According to police, the shooter had been lying in wait for several minutes when Thompson, 50, made his way to the Midtown Hilton for an investor meeting. Police say that the man approached Thompson from behind and fired multiple rounds, killing him. Officers then stated that the assailant then hopped on an e-bike and fled toward Central Park.

The shooter continued through an alleyway from West 54th Street to West 55th Street, police claimed. “Once at West 55th Street, the shooter continued westbound on Avenue of the Americas, where he got onto an electric e-Citi bike and rode northbound toward Central Park. At 6:48 a.m., we have the shooter riding the bike into Central Park at Center Drive,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

Thompson was reportedly rushed to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead. "The full investigative efforts of the police department are well underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case," police commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

According to Kenny, the suspect was described as a light-skinned male, wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a very distinctive grey backpack. It was reported by The New York Times that police had managed to recover a cellphone from the scene and were running it through forensic analysis to see if it was linked to the shooting.

It was revealed by one law enforcement official that Thompson had been the recipient of several death threats in the past few months. The police are still investigating the source and exact nature of those threats, the official said.

In addition to looking for the killer, police are still searching for a motive as to why someone would kill Thompson. However, they do believe Thompson was specifically targeted. Police are asking for the public's help to catch the suspect and have raised the reward money for information on his whereabouts to $10,000.