NYPD Shares Photo of 'Smiling' Man Who Allegedly Shot CEO of Major Insurance Company

new york - The New York Police Department (NYPD) has released two identifiable photos of the man sought for shooting insurance executive Brian Thompson. The police believe it was a 'premeditated, targeted attack' rather than a random act of violence.

50-year-old Thompson was fatally shot on Wednesday outside a Hilton hotel where an investors' meeting of his health insurance company, UnitedHealthcare, was taking place. The suspected perpetrator reportedly fled on an electric shared bicycle to Central Park, according to the NYPD. Images of a masked man with a hood have been circulated, one showing him aiming a firearm and another of him riding away.

American media outlets such as NBC News and The New York Times (NYT) reported that bullet casings with words carved into them were found at the crime scene. Among the words were 'delay' and 'deny,' as per NYT, and 'deny,' 'defend,' and 'depose,' according to NBC News. Some media speculate these words reference the book 'Delay, Deny, Defend,' which discusses the reluctance of American insurers to pay out claims.