Investigators question man in connection with UnitedHealth exec killing, reports say

(Reuters) – Authorities on Monday were questioning a man in central Pennsylvania in connection with last week’s murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, NBC News and the New York Times (NYSE:) reported, citing unnamed law enforcement sources.

The man, located in Altoona, drew the attention of investigators because he possessed a gun, silencer and false identification cards similar to those used by the gunman, according to the Times. NBC reported the man being questioned was found with a gun similar to the one used in the killing.

Thompson, 50, was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel early on Wednesday morning by a masked man who appeared to wait for his arrival before shooting the executive from behind.

The suspect, who has not been identified by police, ran from the scene and then rode a bike into Central Park. Surveillance video captured him exiting the park and taking a taxi to a bus station in northern Manhattan, where police believe he used a bus to flee the city.

Thompson, a father of two, had been CEO of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:)’s insurance unit since April 2021, part of a 20-year career with the company. He had been in New York to attend the company’s annual investor conference.