Police have stumbled across some bizarre items inside a backpack allegedly linked to the man who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
On Wednesday (December 4), it was reported that the CEO of the insurance giant was shot and killed outside a luxury Midtown hotel just before 7:00AM in what has been described as a “brazen, targeted attack” by a perpetrator who used a firearm with a silencer, police said. Officials are exploring the possibility of the firearm being similar to what a veterinarian would use to euthanize animals.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that Thompson was waiting outside the Hilton hotel along Sixth Avenue when he was approached by a hooded individual who opened fire on him, shooting him multiple times.
“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said.
In a disturbing surveillance video that was discovered after the crime was committed, the 50-year-old can be seen stumbling after the first bullet was launched before turning around and being shot several more times.
Authorities confirmed that the suspect then fled the scene of the shooting on a bicycle before entering Central Park, and taking a taxi to a bus terminal that has interstate services.
"We have reason to believe he’s no longer in New York City," Tisch added.
According to the Guardian, the FBI has now gotten involved in the nationwide manhunt for the killer and has said that it is offering $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman as efforts to identify and locate a suspect continue.
It was reported that before the shooting, the still-unidentified man stayed at a hostel in the Upper West Side but kept his mask up - even in his own room, according to the alleged shooter’s roommates.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated that witnesses said he "didn’t speak."
"He kept his mask on even when he was eating. He would pull the mask down to take a bite," they allegedly added.
However, he did reveal his face for a brief moment while conversing with one of the women working at the front desk.
The NYPD has widely circulated a photo of that moment so that anyone who sees the suspect can report him immediately.
While the identity of the suspect remains unclear to the public, the authorities discovered a backpack hidden in a bush in Central Park on Friday.
Officials believe the backpack is linked to the masked assassin after reflecting on the footage of the incident - in which he was seen carrying a bag similar to the one found - and may lead them to confirm his identity and potentially a motive behind the shooting.
The New York Post has since reported that officers bizarrely found colorful Monopoly money inside.
It also had a jacket inside. It is unclear if it is the same jacket as the one seen in surveillance footage of the shooting.
In a new update, New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters that authorities believe they have identified the suspected murderer.
"We don’t want to release [his name] now," Adams said. "If we do, we are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask. We revealed his face. We’re going to reveal who he is and we’re going to bring him to justice."