Police closing in on suspect in UnitedHealth executive's murder, New York Post reports

Authorities are closing in on the man suspected of killing UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was quoted as saying on Saturday by the New York Post.

"The net is tightening," Adams told reporters at a Police Athletic League holiday party in Harlem, according to the Post. He declined to name the suspect.

Thompson, 50, who became CEO of UnitedHealth's insurance unit in April 2021, was shot in the back around 6:45 a.m. ET (1145 GMT) on Wednesday in what police described as a targeted attack by a masked assailant lying in wait.

The murder occurred just before the company's annual investor conference at the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue.

The shooting sparked a massive manhunt for the gunman, who fled on foot wearing a hooded jacket, balaclava and gray backpack before mounting an electric bike and riding into Central Park, police said.

Adams declined to say whether investigators had the suspect's name, according to the NY Post.

"We don't want to release that now," the mayor said. "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. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask."

"We revealed his face," he continued, referring to security camera photos and video released after the murder. "We're going to reveal who he is and we're going to bring him to justice."