NEW YORK  –  The head of US insurance company UnitedHealthcare has been shot and killed in New York City, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News. Chief executive Brian Thompson was fatally shot in the chest just before 07:00 EST (12:00 GMT) on Wednesday outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where he was scheduled to speak at an investor conference later in the day.Thompson was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said. A suspect fled the scene and remains at large, the New York Police Department said.

Thompson appeared to be targeted in the attack, police said, with the suspect waiting for him outside wearing a ski mask and cream jacket, according to reports. Investigators said they have video footage of the shooting, but they do not know the suspect’s motive. Thompson was named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. He earned $10.2million (£8million) working for the company last year.

Thompson started at the health insurance provider in 2004, and has held multiple leadership roles, including CEO of the company’s government programs division. UnitedHealthcare is the largest private insurer in the country. UnitedHealth Group quickly cancelled its investor conference after news of the shooting, according to US media. “We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation,” CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s parent company UnitedHealth Group Andrew Witty said at the event.

The BBC has contacted UnitedHealthcare for comment. (BBC)

Photo: Brian Thompson. (UnitedHealthcare)