United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s family is facing the unimaginable.
The health insurance executive was shot and killed in New York City Dec. 4, leaving behind wife Paulette Thompson and their two children. Shortly after the tragedy—which NYPD are treating as a targeted attack, according to NBC News—his widow spoke out about the threats he had been receiving prior to the shooting.
“Yes, there had been some threats basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details,” she told NBC News. “I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
However, Thompson’s widow also noted that the shock of the fatal attack was still fresh.
“I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now,” she continued. “I just found this out and I’m trying to console my children.”
Paulette later issued a heartfelt remembrance.
“We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian,” she said in the statement, obtained by CNN. “Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives. Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.”
At a press conference the same day, police commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that the gunman had been “lying in wait for several minutes.”
“Many people passed the suspect,” she explained, “But he appeared to wait for his intended target.”
Thompson, who took over as CEO of United Healthcare in 2021, was on his way to speak at an investor conference held by the organization’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, when an unidentified gunman opened fire outside the New York Hilton hotel in Manhattan, according to NBC News.
At a press conference the same day, police commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that the gunman had been “lying in wait for several minutes.”
“Many people passed the suspect,” she explained. “But he appeared to wait for his intended target.”
Thompson, 50, was later pronounced dead at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the NYPD. The suspect remains at large, according to police, and a $10,000 reward is being offered for information on his whereabouts.
Shortly after his passing, UnitedHealth Group abruptly canceled its investor conference due to a “very serious medical situation,” according to the outlet. The company later paid tribute to the late executive.
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the statement read. “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.”
