Brian Thompson Footage Shows Shooter Was 'Calculated'—Former FBI Official

The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appears to have been a professional assassination, a former FBI agent has said.

Jennifer Coffindaffer, who specialized in gangs, narcotics and organized crime in the FBI, was reacting to the killing of Thompson on a New York City street on Wednesday.

"Whoever murdered Brian Thompson was calculated. It was well planned. The killer knows firearms," Coffindaffer wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot on the street near a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan by a masked man around 6:45 a.m. ET. The gunman fled on foot before mounting an electric bicycle and riding north to Central Park. His whereabouts since have been unknown.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the New York Police Department via email on Thursday outside of regular office hours.

CCTV footage showed the gunman waited about five minutes before approaching Thompson from behind and repeatedly shooting him, Jessica Tisch, New York City police commissioner, said at a news conference later on Wednesday.

Coffindaffer said the gun jammed and the killer dealt with the problem extremely quickly.

"He cleared 3 jams and shot 4 times, I believe. He held the gun correctly. I am not sure why the jams, but he sure as heck cleared that weapon like a SWAT operator on the line. Then he walked up and executed Thompson at close range, shooting for a 4th time."

Coffindaffer believes that the killer clearly planned the killing very carefully. "I don't believe he had any misses. He used a silencer. He was concealed. He walked away calmly and deliberately. He had an E-Bike on the ready. He had everything he needed to change into in the backpack. He had help, I believe."

She added that the killer likely had good information about Thompson's movements.

"How did he know exactly when Thompson would be at the execution point? Who hired him, or was his hater well trained?" she wrote.

She also wrote that law enforcement "will look at his inner circle and at any threats that may have been received. Who benefited from his death? That's key. Whoever wanted him dead, made sure he had no chance."

Police put out photographs of the suspect, whose face was covered by a mask and hood, just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

"These are additional images of the suspect sought in connection to this morning's homicide. If you have any information about this incident, the suspect, or his location please contact @NYPDTips at 1(800) 577-TIPS," the police department posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"The shooter appears to be a light-skinned male. He's wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a very distinctive gray backpack," said Joseph Kenny, the NYPD's chief of detectives.

Thompson was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was expected to speak at an investor presentation at the Hilton later in the day for UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the U.S. He had served as the company's CEO since 2021.