By CEDAR ATTANASIO and MICHAEL R. SISAK
NEW YORK — A person with a gun regarded as just like the one used within the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was taken into police custody Monday for questioning in Pennsylvania, a regulation enforcement official instructed The Related Press.
The person is being held close to Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York Metropolis, the official stated. The official was not licensed to debate particulars of the continuing investigation and spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity.
Thompson, 50, was killed final Wednesday in what police stated was a “brazen, targeted” assault as he walked alone to the Hilton from a close-by lodge, the place UnitedHealthcare’s mother or father firm, UnitedHealth Group, was holding its annual investor convention, police stated.
The shooter gave the impression to be “lying in wait for several minutes” earlier than approaching the chief from behind and opening fireplace, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated. He used a 9 mm pistol that police stated resembled the weapons farmers use to place down animals with out inflicting a loud noise.
Within the days for the reason that capturing, police turned to the general public for assist by releasing a set of photographs and video — together with footage of the assault, in addition to photos of the suspect at a Starbucks beforehand.
Photographs taken within the foyer of a hostel on Manhattan’s Higher West Facet confirmed the suspect grinning after eradicating his masks, police stated.
Ammunition discovered close to Thompson’s physique bore the phrases “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase utilized by insurance coverage trade critics.
Monday’s growth got here as canines and divers returned to New York’s Central Park whereas the dragnet for Thompson’s killer stretched right into a sixth day.
Investigators have been combing the park for the reason that Wednesday capturing and have been looking at the least considered one of its ponds for 3 days, in search of proof that will have been thrown into it.
On Friday, police discovered a backpack within the park that they are saying the killer discarded as he fled from the crime scene to an uptown bus station, the place they consider he left the town on a bus.
On Monday, Ok-9 models sniffed leaf-covered planters between strolling paths in Central Park close to the place police discovered the shooter’s backpack. Farther alongside the trail that police suspect he took via the park after the capturing, scuba divers equipped and began looking a pond for the third straight day.
Retracing the gunman’s steps utilizing surveillance video, investigators say the shooter fled into Central Park on a bicycle, emerged from park with out his backpack after which ditched the bicycle.
He then walked a pair blocks and acquired right into a taxi, arriving at on the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, which is close to the northern tip of Manhattan and presents commuter service to New Jersey and Greyhound routes to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated.
The FBI introduced late Friday that it was providing a $50,000 reward for data resulting in an arrest and conviction, including to a reward of as much as $10,000 that the NYPD has supplied. Police say they consider the suspect acted alone.
Late Saturday, police launched two extra photographs of the suspect that gave the impression to be from a digicam mounted inside a taxi. The primary reveals him exterior the car and the second reveals him wanting via the partition between the again seat and the entrance of the cab. In each, his face is partially obscured by a blue masks.
Via the park search, the NYPD has taken steps to attenuate disruption to guests, resulting in an odd juxtaposition of joggers, vacationers and an energetic crime scene.
On Monday, a small part of the park was cordoned off with blue and white police tape, giving divers an space to vary and get within the water.
At one level, a gaggle of about 30 French-speaking vacationers adopted a information down a path, however they couldn’t go any additional due to the police tape. Earlier than turning again, lots of them whipped out their telephones to snap a photograph of the divers.
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