Law enforcement has expanded its efforts to locate the gunman who murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, focusing on Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain and its adjacent lake.
Divers were deployed on Saturday as part of the investigation, following the discovery of the suspect’s backpack hidden within the park, less than half a mile from the search site.
Officials confirmed the water search is directly linked to the brazen daylight shooting, which occurred Wednesday morning outside the New York Hilton Midtown. The incident has left authorities in an intense four-day pursuit of the suspect, who remains at large.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a retired NYPD captain, expressed confidence in the ongoing manhunt, though he declined to provide identifying details about the suspect.
“We don’t want to release that now,” Adams told reporters, emphasizing the need to maintain an advantage over the fugitive. “If you do, you are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking, and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all.”
Adams vowed that the suspect would be brought to justice, stating, “Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask. We revealed his face. We’re going to reveal who he is, and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
Thompson was shot multiple times while en route to an investor conference at the Hilton Midtown. Surveillance footage shows the gunman, armed with what appeared to be a suppressed handgun, firing several rounds before escaping on an electric bike.
The suspect was last seen entering Central Park shortly after the 6:48 a.m. shooting. Authorities later uncovered surveillance footage showing him exiting the park onto 77th Street before making his way to a hostel on the Upper West Side.
Investigators believe the shooter traveled to New York City from Atlanta last month via Greyhound bus. He reportedly stayed at the Upper West Side hostel and frequented a nearby Starbucks, where he was last seen shortly before the murder.
Surveillance footage from the hostel captured a clear image of the suspect’s face without a mask, and authorities have widely circulated the photo in hopes of identifying him.
While officials have not yet disclosed a definitive motive, bullet casings recovered from the scene contained engraved words: deny, defend, and depose.
These terms are often associated with strategies employed by insurance companies to contest claims, fueling speculation about a potential connection between the murder and corporate or financial disputes.
As the search intensifies, investigators continue to follow leads, urging anyone with information to come forward. The case has drawn national attention, with the suspect’s escape and possible motives adding layers of complexity to an already high-profile investigation.