警方消息人士周三晚间告诉美国广播公司新闻，侦探在主要保险集团联合医疗保险公司首席执行官布莱恩·汤普森被枪杀的现场发现的弹壳上发现了“否认”、“辩护”和“宣誓作证”等词。
据警方称，汤普森周三早上在曼哈顿中城被近距离射杀，当时他正准备参加一个投资者会议。
蒙面枪手NYPD专员杰西卡·蒂施(Jessica Tisch)在新闻发布会上说，在逃的恐怖分子实施了“有预谋的、厚颜无耻的、有针对性的袭击”。但警方表示，动机仍不清楚。
NYPD的侦探们正在努力确定这些话是否是来自枪手的信息和对他动机的暗示。
警方说，枪手似乎在早上6点40分左右向汤普森开枪的酒店埋伏。
视频记录了枪手走到首席执行官身后，用枪指着他并开枪的瞬间。汤普森跌倒在地时，一名目击者逃走了。枪手随后走近汤普森，在逃跑前开了更多枪。
消息人士告诉ABC新闻，枪击发生的当天早上5点，在上西区的公共住宅项目弗雷德里克·道格拉斯屋外，有人在视频中看到了枪手。
当嫌疑人在弗雷德里克·道格拉斯之家的视频中被发现时，有人看到他携带着似乎是电动自行车电池的东西。
汤普森的妻子，波莱特·汤普森在一份声明中说，她被“无谓的杀戮”弄得“崩溃”
“布莱恩是一个令人难以置信的有爱心、慷慨、有才华的人，他真正地过着充实的生活，感动了许多人，”她说。“最重要的是，布赖恩是我们两个儿子的非常慈爱的父亲，我们会非常想念他。”
50岁的汤普森曾在纽约市警方消息称，他将参加原定于上午8点开始的联合医疗投资者会议，他的日程安排众所周知。
警方说，会议在他被枪杀的希尔顿酒店外举行，但他没有住在那里。酒店位于西54街和第六大道的交叉口。
NYPD警长约瑟夫·肯尼在新闻发布会上说，枪手在汤姆森到达前五分钟到达现场。
“人们从嫌疑人身边经过，但他似乎在等待他的预定目标，”Tisch说。
肯尼说，汤普森从街对面的酒店出来，步行到希尔顿酒店参加会议后，枪手从一辆汽车后面走上人行道，从背后开枪打死了这位首席执行官。
“然后枪手走向受害者，继续开枪。他说:“看起来是枪出了故障，因为他清除了堵塞，开始再次开火。”。
警方消息人士告诉ABC新闻，嫌疑人徒步逃入一条小巷，在那里找到了一部被认为与枪手有关的手机。
警方称，他随后骑着自行车逃跑，最后一次被看到是在早上6点48分，他骑着自行车进入了中央公园。
据消息人士称，侦探们正在努力确定嫌疑人是否将自行车预先放置在附近的某个地方。
执法人员告诉ABC新闻，警方认为留在枪击现场附近的水瓶和糖果包装纸与枪手有关，调查人员正在进行测试，以确定是否有任何可用的指纹或DNA。
消息人士称，侦探认为枪手不是职业杀手。
消息人士称，拥有从手机中检索可用数据的最先进技术的美国联邦调查局正在协助调查。
汤普森于周一抵达纽约。肯尼说，警方正在就任何潜在的具体威胁采访汤普森的同事和家人。
警方称，汤普森独自离开酒店，似乎没有安保人员。
消息人士称，调查人员已经进入了受害者的酒店房间，他们的首要任务是确定汤普森最近的谈话和行动。
世界上最大的健康保险公司联合医疗集团的母公司联合健康集团在一份声明中说，“我们对我们亲爱的朋友和同事布莱恩·汤普森的去世深感悲痛和震惊。”
该公司表示:“布莱恩是所有和他一起工作的人非常尊敬的同事和朋友。”。“我们正在与纽约警察局密切合作，在这一困难时期，我们请求你们的耐心和理解。我们的心与布莱恩的家人和所有与他亲近的人同在。”
汤普森住在公司总部所在地明尼苏达州。
“这对明尼苏达州的商业和医疗保健界来说是一个可怕的消息和可怕的损失，”明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·瓦尔兹在推特上说。"明尼苏达州向布莱恩的家人和联合医疗团队送去了我们的祈祷."
警方呼吁公众拨打1-800-577-TIPS向犯罪制止者提供任何信息。
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead in Midtown Manhattan, masked gunman at large
The words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were discovered by detectives on the shell casings found at the scene where Brian Thompson, the CEO of major insurance group UnitedHealthcare, was gunned down, police sources told ABC News late Wednesday evening.
Thompson was shot to death at point-blank range in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning before he was set to attend an investor conference, according to police.
The masked gunman, who remains on the loose, carried out a "brazen, targeted attack" that was "premeditated," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. But the motive remains unknown, police said.
NYPD detectives are working to determine whether the words were meant as a message from the shooter and a hint at his motive.
The shooter appeared to be lying in wait at the hotel where he shot Thompson around 6:40 a.m., police said.
Video captured the moment the gunman walked up behind the CEO, pointed his gun at him and fired. A witness fled as Thompson stumbled and fell to the ground. The gunman then walked closer to Thompson, firing more times before fleeing.
The shooter was seen on video at 5 a.m. the morning of the shooting outside Frederick Douglass Houses, a public housing project on the Upper West Side, sources told ABC News.
When the suspect was spotted on video at Frederick Douglass Houses, he was seen carrying what appeared to be an e-bike battery.
Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, said in a statement that she's "shattered" by the "senseless killing."
"Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives," she said. "Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed."
Thompson, 50, was inNew York Cityfor the UnitedHealthcare investors conference, which was scheduled to start at 8 a.m., and his schedule was widely known, police sources said.
The conference was being held at the Hilton outside of which he was shot, but he was not staying there, police said. The hotel is by the intersection of West 54th Street and Sixth Avenue.
The shooter arrived at the scene about five minutes before Thompson arrived, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at the news conference.
"People passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target," Tisch said.
After Thompson exited his hotel across the street and walked to the Hilton for the conference, the shooter stepped onto the sidewalk from behind a car and shot the CEO in the back, Kenny said.
"The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions, as he clears the jam and begins to fire again," he said.
The suspect fled on foot into an alley, where a phone believed to be linked to the shooter was recovered, police sources told ABC News.
He then fled on a bike and he was last seen riding into Central Park at 6:48 a.m., police said.
Detectives are working to determine whether the suspect had prepositioned the bike somewhere close by, according to sources.
Police believe a water bottle and candy wrapper left near the shooting scene are linked to the shooter and investigators are running tests to determine if there are any usable fingerprints or DNA, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Detectives believe the gunman is not a professional killer, sources said.
The FBI, which has the most sophisticated technology for retrieving usable data from cellphones, is helping with the investigation, the sources said.
Thompson arrived in New York on Monday. Police are interviewing Thompson's colleagues and family about any potential specific threats, Kenny said.
Thompson left his hotel by himself and didn't appear to have a security detail, police said.
The victim's hotel room has already been accessed by investigators, whose top priority is determining Thompson's most recent conversations and movements, sources said.
UnitedHealthcare's parent company, UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the world, said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson."
"Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," the company said. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian's family and all who were close to him."
Thompson lived in Minnesota, where the company is based.
"This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tweeted. "Minnesota is sending our prayers to Brian's family and the UnitedHealthcare team."
Police urge the public to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS with any information.
