ON THE LOOSE
Cops find backpack of UnitedHealthcare CEO ‘assassin’ near merry-go-round after he ‘escaped NYC on interstate bus’
The gunman reportedly arrived in New York last month via a Greyhound bus from Atlanta
POLICE have found the backpack the suspected assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson left behind in Central Park.
The gunman ditched his bag on his way out of New York as cops said he reportedly fled the city after he was seen entering a bus station.
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Cops found the backpack during their second search of the Manhattan park, the New York Police Department confirmed to The U.S. Sun.
Officers haven't yet opened the backpack and said it's going "straight to the lab" for forensic analysis, according to the New York Times.
The assassin's backpack was found by the park's iconic carousel at the southern end of the park, near where the suspect was last seen riding an e-bike.
Investigators have "reason to believe" that the person of interest tied to Thompson's murder has left the city, NYPD police commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
READ MORE ON BRIAN THOMPSON
A photo of the man linked to the crime was released on Thursday because police want a "wider audience to see the picture outside of New York City," she told CNN.
Cops are still piecing together the timeline of the killer's movements following the shooting.
What we know...
- The killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson remains at large as the manhunt enters its third day.
- Security camera images of a smiling man wearing a hooded jacket have been released, while a fake ID, cellphone, and DNA sample have reportedly been found.
- The killer pulled down his face mask while flirting with a hotel receptionist.
- Cops believe the assassin used a rare "World War Two spy gun" fitted with a silencer to kill Thompson.
- The killer fled into Central Park on a bike wearing a backpack, but was later spotted leaving without it.
- He arrived in New York last month after boarding a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta.
- Terrified CEOs are stepping up their security in the wake of the killing over fears of copycat assassination attempts.
- A $10,000 reward for any information about the killing is being offered by police.
Most read in The US Sun
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the suspected gunman left the scene outside the New York Hilton Midtown and escaped down an alleyway before riding a bike up Avenue of the Americas into Central Park.
He then exited Central Park at around 77th Street, still with the bike, Kenny told CNN.
Video shows the suspect walking to 86th Street and Columbus Avenue before getting into a taxi heading north towards the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, which police say they have video of him entering by around 8 am, but not leaving.
"Those buses are interstate buses. That’s why we believe he may have left New York City," he said.
"We don’t have any video of him exiting so we believe he may have gotten on a bus."
DNA evidence tied to the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was earlier sent to the forensics lab for testing.
Grinning CEO ‘assassin’ pulled down mask to reveal his face while FLIRTING with hotel receptionist before shooting
Cops are continuing to hunt for clues relating to the shooting death of the health boss, who was gunned down outside a hotel in New York City on Wednesday morning.
The DNA evidence was recovered from a water bottle that the gunman is believed to have bought at a Starbucks two blocks away from the crime scene, according to law enforcement sources.
He visited the coffee store on West 56th Street before the shooting, where he bought a coffee, a water, and two energy bars, paying in cash.
Investigators found the bottle at the crime scene.
New video shows the suspect ditching an item just before the murder.
MANHUNT ENTERS THIRD DAY
As the search for the killer enters its third day, police still have not released a name for the suspect.
However, cops have likely "already identified" the gunman, a former New York police detective has claimed.
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Former NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher told Fox Business the force probably already had a name, as he talked about the "uncommon" firearm believed to have been used by the killer.
The breakthrough follows another lead in the case after reports claimed the gunman arrived in New York last month via a Greyhound bus from Atlanta, .
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Police in Atlanta confirmed they are working with the NYPD as part of the investigation.
He is seen on security footage getting off the bus at Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal on November 24.
"We are fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation," a Greyhound spokesperson told The U.S. Sun.
"As it is ongoing, we cannot provide further comment at this time."
A burner phone dropped by the suspect was found in an alley close to the New York Hilton Midtown, where Thompson was shot as he arrived for an investor's conference.
The shooting took place outside the hotel on West 54th Street, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.
Afterward, the gunman fled down an alleyway onto West 55th Street before he was seen heading left on Avenue of the Americas on a bike.
He was last spotted riding into Central Park, where surveillance camera coverage is spottier.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows the suspect leaving Central Park without the backpack.
Cops carried out an extensive search of the park on Thursday, but still haven't found it.
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On Thursday, investigators searched the HI New York City Hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side where the suspected killer is believed to have stayed before the shooting.
A picture of a hooded man in the hotel smiling was released by the NYPD, describing him as a "person of interest wanted for questioning."
He wore the mask for most of the time he was in the hostel, but reportedly lowered it after a female employee flirted with him.
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New York City's Mayor Eric Adams has said he is confident cops will find the shooter soon.
"We're seeing good old-fashioned police work here," he told NY1, adding that investigators were "on the right track."
UnitedHealth Group Statement on Brian Thompson
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in a brazen attack on December 4 as he was leaving a New York City hotel. Parent company UnitedHealth Group released the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
"Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him.
"We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.
"Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
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