联合健康保险公司首席执行官在纽约市遭“明目张胆的针对性袭击”枪杀
【中美创新时报2024 年 12 月 4 日编译讯】（记者温友平编译）据美联社报道，联合健康保险公司首席执行官布莱恩·汤普森于周三早上在曼哈顿一家酒店外被枪杀，调查人员怀疑这是一起针对性枪击案，当时这家健康保险公司正在举行投资者会议。
纽约市警察局局长杰西卡·蒂施表示，这是一起“明目张胆的针对性袭击”。纽约州长凯西·霍楚尔称这是一起“可怕的针对性枪击案”。
据纽约警察局称，现年 50 岁的汤普森原本准备在一次投资者会议上发言，但早上 6:45 左右，他在纽约中城希尔顿酒店外被枪杀，枪手徒步逃走，然后骑着电动自行车进入中央公园。
汤普森被送往医院，但未能挽救生命。截至上午晚些时候，警方仍在搜寻枪手，尚未逮捕任何人。尽管官员表示袭击似乎是有针对性的，但他们尚未确定枪击动机。
市长埃里克·亚当斯表示，警方正在审查现场证据，包括视频。
“这似乎显然是个人目标，我们将逮捕该人，”亚当斯说。
联合健康集团公司。据该公司媒体公告称，总部位于明尼苏达州明尼通卡的公司原定于纽约市与投资者举行年度会议，向华尔街通报公司未来一年的方向和预期。周三上午，会议向与会者宣布提前结束。
希尔顿酒店位于曼哈顿繁华地段，距离现代艺术博物馆和洛克菲勒中心等旅游景点仅几步之遥，工作日早上游客和上班族络绎不绝。备受欢迎的洛克菲勒中心圣诞树亮灯仪式将于周三晚上举行。
枪击案发生地部分街区已用警戒线封锁，现场有大量警察驻守。附近有许多安全摄像头。
汤普森担任首席执行官已三年多，自 2004 年以来一直在该公司任职。
明尼苏达州州长蒂姆·沃尔兹在推特上表示，该州“向布莱恩的家人和联合健康保险团队祈祷”。
“这是一个令人震惊的消息，对明尼苏达州的商业和医疗保健界来说是一个沉重的损失，”这位民主党人写道。
联合健康保险是美国最大的医疗保险优势计划提供商，负责管理雇主以及州和联邦资助的医疗补助计划的健康保险。
此突发新闻将会更新。
题图：纽约警方犯罪现场调查组成员在曼哈顿中城希尔顿酒店外的现场拍摄了人行道上的子弹照片，联合健康保险公司首席执行官布莱恩·汤普森在那里被枪杀。Stefan Jeremiah/美联社
附原英文报道：
CEO of UnitedHealthcare shot and killed in New York City in ‘brazen, targeted attack,’ authorities say
By Associated PressUpdated December 4, 2024
Members of the New York police crime scene unit photographed bullets on the sidewalk as they investigated the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot.Stefan Jeremiah/Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was killed Wednesday morning in what investigators suspect was a targeted shooting outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference.
The killing was was a “brazen, targeted attack,” Jessica Tisch, the New York City police commissioner said. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a “horrific and targeted shooting.”
Thompson, 50, was set to speak at an investor meeting when he was gunned down around 6:45 a.m. outside the New York Hilton Midtown by a shooter who fled on foot and then took an e-bike into Central Park, according to the New York Police Department.
Thompson was taken to a hospital but could not be saved. Police were still searching for the shooter as of late morning and no arrests had been made. Though officials said the attack appeared to be targeted, they did not yet have a motive for the shooting.
Mayor Eric Adams said police were reviewing evidence from the scene, including video.
“It seems to be clearly targeted by an individual and we will apprehend that individual,” Adams said.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company was scheduled to have its annual meeting with investors in New York City to update Wall Street on the company’s direction and expectations for the coming year, according to a company media advisory. An announcement was made to attendees Wednesday morning that the conference was ending early.
The Hilton is in a bustling part of Manhattan, a short walk from tourist sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center, and often dense with tourists and office workers on weekday mornings. The popular Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting is set to take place Wednesday evening.
Part of the block where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police tape, with a large contingent of police officers at the scene. Many security cameras are nearby.
Thompson had served as CEO for more than three years and had been with the company since 2004.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz tweeted that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”
“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs.
This breaking news story will be updated.
