Cops ‘closing in’ on CEO Brian Thompson’s shooter after he ‘fled on bus to Atlanta’ as FBI offers new $50,000 award

Police think they are getting closer to identifying the shooter as the fourth day of the manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer begins.

On Wednesday morning, the father of two was shot dead at close range on the pavement outside the New York Hilton in what has been described as a “brazen and targeted attack.”

Two people with knowledge of the matter told CNN that police investigators are certain they are getting close to identifying the alleged assassin.

According to the sources, police are concentrating on tracking down the shooting suspect by utilizing thousands of leads, facial recognition software, and DNA analysis.

An hour after killing the 50-year-old health executive, the man is thought to have left the city.

However, the name of the suspect has not yet been confirmed because police are still attempting to validate the information they have been given.

No name has been identified despite their examination of the Greyhound bus’ passenger list, which the shooter took in November to get from Atlanta, Georgia to New York City.

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What we are aware of…

• The killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson remains at large as the manhunt enters its fourth day.
• Security camera images of a smiling man wearing a hooded jacket have been released, while a fake ID, cellphone, and DNA sample have reportedly been found.
• The killer pulled down his face mask while flirting with a hotel receptionist.
• Cops believe the assassin used a rare “World War Two spy gun” fitted with a silencer to kill Thompson.
• The killer fled into Central Park on a bike wearing a backpack but was later spotted leaving without it.
• He arrived in New York last month after boarding a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta.
• Terrified CEOs are stepping up their security in the wake of the killing over fears of copycat assassination attempts.
• A $50,000 reward is being offered by the FBI

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At a conference on Friday, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated, “We do not have his name,” according to the New York Times.

“At this point, we believe he acted alone.”

KEY EVIDENCE

A couple of case breakthroughs during the third day of the manhunt have given investigators more hope that the murderer will be apprehended shortly.

The backpack the shooter was wearing at the time of the incident is thought to have been found by police.

The item was found close to the merry-go-round in Central Park, which is also where the suspect was last seen riding an e-bike.

The backpack was sent right away for testing in a forensics lab.

Police also discovered items at the shooting scene that they suspect include the killer’s DNA, such as a water bottle he reportedly purchased with cash right before attacking Thompson.

According to a senior law enforcement official informed on the inquiry, a cell phone was also found at the scene and might carry DNA from touch or skin cells, CNN reported.

According to the source, these things were supposed to be analyzed on Friday.

The Atlanta Police Department formally entered the case on Friday, and the FBI announced a prize of up to $50,000 for information that led to the suspect’s arrest, further strengthening the probe.

The FBI utilized a CCTV still of the suspect, which has been referred to as a “money shot” image because it shows them with their mask down, in the prize announcement.

The suspect had been moving across the city “mostly wearing a mask with his face covered,” according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who spoke to CNN.

“We had to go through lots of video evidence to get that one money shot with the mask down.”

When a flirtatious receptionist at the HI New York City Hostel where the suspect was staying asked him, “Can I see your pretty smile?” he allegedly made the error.

When the alleged murderer smiled and dropped his mask on CCTV, it offered police their first “significant” lead in identifying him.

To conceal his identify, the alleged shooter at the hostel gave up a phony New Jersey driver’s license.

After NYPDCrimeStoppers offered up to $10,000 for information that resulted in the killer’s arrest and conviction, the FBI has now issued its reward.

‘TARGETED’ ATTACK

Investigators are trying to determine whether a sophisticated weapon was used to assassinate the CEO of UnitedHealthcare as police search for the murderer.

According to the NYPD Chief of Detectives, who spoke to The New York Times, the gunman might have used a 9mm cartridge in a veterinary pistol that is commonly used to put down cattle.

“If an animal has to get put down, the animal can be shot without the weapon causing a large noise,” Kenny stated.

According to a CNN analyst, the weapon is “practically silent…and it’s meant for close-up killing.”

Although a motive has not yet been disclosed, authorities think Thompson was “specifically targeted” in the murder.

Teams of forensic investigators found a heartbreaking message written on the bullets the murderer used to kill Thompson in cold blood.

Live rounds and shell casings at the scene contained the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend,” according to police sources who spoke to the New York Post.

The book Delay, Deny, Defend, which discussed insurance companies and the reasons for their refusal to pay claims, may have been the source of such remarks.