The person being sought in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street was seen near a Port Authority bus station 46 minutes after the shocking crime, police said.
Thompson was shot from behind outside of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel Wednesday morning as he was on his way to UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference, officials have said.
No arrests have been made. Police believe the person of interest may have left the city.
“At this point, we believe he acted alone,” New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Friday.
The man arrived by bus stayed at a hostel, and roommates said he kept his mask on the entire time, even while eating, only pulling it down to take a bite.
Here is a timeline of the person of interest’s movements in New York City, as described by Kenny. He said video confirmed the man’s movements.
Sunday, Nov. 24
10:11 p.m.: The person arrives in New York City. He is seen on video at that time getting off a bus at the Port Authority at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue.
The bus originated in Atlanta but had around six or seven stops on the way, and investigators are unsure where the man got on, Kenny said.
After arriving at the Port Authority, he takes a cab up to the vicinity of the Hilton hotel and remains there for around 30 minutes.
Around 11 p.m.: He takes a cab to the hostel on Amsterdam Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Friday, Nov. 29
He was checked out of the hostel, but police believe that was an administrative checkout because he did not appear at a required time.
He checked back in, and police don’t believe he stayed anywhere else. He had two roommates whom he did not know. He kept his mask on the entire time. The man paid in cash but gave an ID.
“We believe that the identification was fraudulent,” Kenny said.
Wednesday, Dec. 4
About 5:30 a.m.: He leaves the hostel. Police believe he is on a bicycle.
5:41 a.m.: Video has him at 54th Street and 6th Avenue, at the Hilton.
“We have him wandering around, walking in the vicinity of the hotel, walking on 54th Street, walking back and forth,” Kenny said.
The man enters a Starbucks at some point and makes a purchase.
6:44 a.m.: The killing occurs. Thompson is shot from behind and is then shot more times.
Three pieces of ammunition recovered had the words the words “deny,” “delay” and “depose” written on them in marker, one on each, Kenny said. (A senior New York City law enforcement official briefed on the investigation has told NBC News shell casings had “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on them.)
6:48 a.m.: The man is seen entering Central Park at 60th Street.
6:56 a.m.: He is seen out of the park on Central Park West, still with the bicycle.
6:58 a.m.: He is at 85th Street and Columbus Avenue, with the bicycle.
7 a.m.: He is northbound at 86th Street, and no longer has the bicycle.
7:04 a.m.: He is seen getting into a taxi northbound at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
7:30 a.m.: He is seen in the vicinity of George Washington Bridge, near the Port Authority bus station.
A combined $60,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman.
Kenny said the investigation is ongoing and involves painstaking work. The police department in Atlanta, Georgia, where the bus to New York City originated, is assisting the NYPD, it said.
“This isn’t ‘Blue Bloods’ — we’re not going to solve this in 60 minutes,” Kenny told reporters Friday. “We’re painstakingly going through every bit of evidence that we can come across.”
Police will have to present the facts to a judge and jury after an arrest is made, Kenny said.
“We’re taking our time, we’re doing it right, we’re making sure that we’re going to get justice for this victim and closure for his family,” he said.
