CEO killing live updates: Backpack that may be linked to gunman found

NEW YORK CITY - Police are unveiling more clues as they hunt for for evidence in the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 

LATEST UPDATES

9:50 p.m. - Suspect left New York City on bus headed to Atlanta

FOX News is reporting that the suspected gunman left New York City after the murder on a bus headed toward Atlanta.

The suspect arrived in New York last month on a bus from Atlanta, authorities previously said.

8:18 p.m. - Police recover backpack

The NYPD has recovered a backpack in Central Park that may be linked to the gunman.

7:32 p.m. - Police looking into whether suspect used veterinary gun

According to the New York Times, police are looking into the possibility that the gunman used what is known as a veterinary gun, a larger firearm used on farms and ranches. 

4:42 p.m. - Officers seen guarding bag in Central Park

NYPD officers were spotted by FOX 5 NY guarding a bag in Central Park, close to where an investigation was underway in the murder of CEO Brian Thompson.

The brown bag appears to have clothing inside but it is unclear how it related to the investigation.

4:38 - New video of suspected gunman

Video obtained by FOX 5 NY shows the suspected CEO killer riding a bike at 6:58 a.m. Wednesday on the Upper West Side.

He is seen riding down 85th Street without the gray backpack worn during the murder.

4:00 p.m. - Police believe gunman is no longer in New York City

Police believe the gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel has left NYC.

Video of the gunman fleeing Wednesday's shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson showed him riding through Central Park and later taking a taxi to a bus terminal, directly across from New Jersey, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN.

Police have video of the man entering the bus station but no video of him exiting, leading them to believe he left the city, Kenny said. "It’s a very busy bus terminal, we want to make sure we have the right bus. But we’re working through that right now, this is all new information," he said.

2:48 - Police search Central Park

An active police investigation was underway in Central Park for evidence in the CEO ambush killing. FOX 5 NY confirms that police used drones to search the area near 59th Street and 6th Avenue where they believe the man who killed Thompson may have dropped his backpack.

What we know

JUMP TO: WHAT'S NEW WITH INVESTIGATION l TIMELINE OF EVENTS l WHO IS BRIAN THOMPSON? l WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT GUNMAN

Thompson was killed in a dawn ambush on Wednesday as he walked from his Midtown hotel to the company’s annual investor conference across the street.

While the gunman is still at large and the motive for the killing remains unknown, the NYPD say evidence firmly points to the shooting being a targeted attack.

Investigators worked to piece together more of the timeline of the gunman’s whereabouts before the shooting, examine security camera footage and even test a discarded water bottle and protein bar wrapper in a hunt for his DNA.

What's new with the investigation?

Bus travel to New York City

Investigators now believe the suspect may have traveled to New York last month on a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta, Georgia, law enforcement sources told FOX News. According to sources within the NYPD, the shooter boarded a bus in Atlanta the day before Thanksgiving.

"We are fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation. As it is ongoing, we cannot provide further comment at this time," a Greyhound spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

Recovered cellphone 

Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled.

Upper West Side hostel tip

A tip that the shooter may have stayed at a hostel brought police on Thursday morning to at least two such establishments on the Upper West Side, according to law enforcement officials. The photos made public Thursday were taken in the lobby of the HI New York City hostel.

"We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, can not comment at this time," hostel spokesperson Danielle Brumfitt said in an emailed statement.

Fake New Jersey ID card

Investigators believe the suspect used a fake New Jersey identification card when he checked in at the hostel, said one of the officials who spoke with the AP.

Employees who work at the hostel told investigators they remembered a man who almost always wore a mask when interacting with them or passing by the front desk. That person wore a jacket that looked like the one worn by the man pictured in surveillance images released after the shooting, the official said.

What we know about the gunman

At Wednesday's press conference, the NYPD called the shooting a "brazen, targeted attack," with the suspect waiting for their intended target in this "premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack."

"It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes and as the victim was walking to the conference hotel, the suspect approached from behind and fired several rounds, striking the victim at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. 

One video showed him approaching Thompson from behind, leveling his pistol and firing several shots, barely pausing to clear a brief gun jam. Other security cameras captured the initial stages of the gunman's escape.

The words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were found emblazoned on the ammunition, echoing a phrase used by insurance industry critics, law enforcement officials said. 

The suspect, who was wearing a backpack, is described as a 6' tall man with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a cream-colored jacket with black gloves and a black mask. Tisch said many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target.

Based on surveillance video and evidence from the scene, investigators believe the shooter had at least some firearms training and experience with guns and that the weapon was equipped with a silencer, a law enforcement official said.

Following the shooting, the suspect walked between two vehicles, got onto a bike then disappeared into Central Park, the NYPD said. 

It was previously reported that the suspect used a Citibike – which can be tracked – but the NYPD has clarified that the incident did not involve that type of bike. Investigators were looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan, an official said.

Although police have said it was a targeted attack, they have not yet released a motive. No suspects have been named, but law enforcement sources confirm with FOX 5 NY that they have received a number of tips, and in one of those tips, there is a name police are looking at.

Timeline of events

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny has shared a timeline of events that led to the fatal shooting of Thompson:

• Undetermined time: Police say the gunman arrived outside the Hilton Hotel approximately five minutes before Thompson and stood alongside the building line.
• 6:44 a.m.: Thompson exits his hotel, crosses the street to the Hilton Hotel and is seen walking alone on the sidewalk outside the building. Police believe Thompson was planning to attend the UnitedHealth Group Investors Conference happening at the hotel later that morning.
• Undetermined time: The gunman steps onto the sidewalk from behind a car and approaches Thompson, shooting him in the back. The gunman continued walking toward Thompson while shooting when police say the firearm appeared to have malfunctioned. The man clears the jam, fires again and flees on foot into a nearby alleyway between 54th Street and West 55th Street.
• 6:46 a.m.: Police responded to a 911 call reporting that someone had been shot in front of the Hilton Hotel located on 6th Avenue between 53rd and 54th streets.
• Undetermined time: Once on West 55th Street, the gunman continues to walk westbound on 6th Avenue and gets onto a bike. He continues riding northbound toward Central Park.
• 6:48 a.m.: Police say the gunman was seen riding the bike into Central Park at Center Drive.
• 6:48 a.m.: Officers arrived at the scene and found Thompson on the sidewalk in front of the hotel with gunshot wounds to his back and leg. EMS personnel transported Thompson to the hospital.
• 7:12 a.m.: Thompson was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital.

Who is Brian Thompson?

Thompson was named chief executive officer for UnitedHealthcare in April 2021, according to UnitedHealthcare’s website. He lived in Minnesota, where the company is based. 

Before that, he was CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s government programs business, including Medicare & Retirement and Community & State. He’d worked at UnitedHealth Group since 2004 and served in multiple leadership roles.

Before he joined UnitedHealth Group, Thompson was a CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He was valedictorian of his class at the University of Iowa, according to Thompson's LinkedIn profile. 

Thompson was in town for UnitedHealthcare’s 2024 investor conference. The conference, which was taking place at the hotel where Thompson was shot, was canceled.