Police believe gunman who killed insurance CEO has left NYC

Video shows him taking cab to bus terminal, as hunt crosses the critical 48-hour window

NEW YORK - New York City police believe the man who fatally shot a UnitedHealth top executive has left the city, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on Dec. 6, as the hunt for the gunman passed the crucial 48-hour mark.

Mr. Brian Thompson, 50, the chief executive of UnitedHealth's insurance unit, was shot in the back on Dec. 4 in what police described as a targeted attack. Police have released multiple photos of the suspect, who fled the scene, climbed on an electric bicycle and disappeared into Central Park, and have asked the public for help in tracking him down.

But Ms. Tisch said in an interview with CNN on Dec. 6 that the authorities now believe he has left New York City, after new video footage emerged.

New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, in the same interview, said the footage shows the suspect climbing into a taxi that took him to the Port Authority bus station.

"We have video of him entering the Port Authority Bus Terminal. We don't have any video of him exiting, so we believe he may have gotten on a bus," he said. "Those buses are interstate buses. That's why we believe he may have left New York City."