UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: New details emerge on person of interest

New details have emerged about a man suspected in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on Wednesday morning.

New York City Police Department (NYPD) investigators on Thursday morning released unmasked photos of a "person of interest" taken at an Upper West Side hostel shortly before he traveled to the shooting site in Midtown Manhattan.

Authorities also revealed that bullets and shell casings used in the crime were decorated with the words "deny," "defend" and "depose," prompting an avalanche of speculation about a motive for the slaying.

CNN reported on Thursday night that the suspect is believed to have traveled from Atlanta to New York on a Greyhound bus 10 days before the shooting, according to "multiple law enforcement sources."

The suspect, whose identity has still not been publicly revealed, arrived in New York on November 24. When he checked into the hostel, he reportedly paid in cash and used a forged New Jersey driver's license as identification.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the NYPD via email on Thursday night.

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot on the street near a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan around 6:45 a.m. Eastern Time Wednesday.

"Every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack," on Thompson, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who also called the killing "brazen."

The suspect, whose face was partially covered by a mask at the time of the shooting, fled on foot before riding an e-bike north to Central Park, where he was last spotted.

While the shooter remains at large and a manhunt continues, police have seemingly amassed a mountain of evidence very quickly and could soon confirm his identity.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD officer, said during an MSNBC interview on Thursday that the investigation was "moving at a steady pace" and police would soon "have someone apprehended."

In addition to security camera footage and bullets at the crime scene, investigators reportedly discovered a water bottle and a phone in an alley near the shooting site that they believe could be tied to the suspect.

CNN reported that authorities recovered one "smudged" fingerprint from the water bottle, although it was unclear whether they were able to match the print to any person. DNA evidence could also be present on the found items, while the phone could provide digital clues.

The NYPD insisted that the man shown in the unmasked photos was a person of interest who was only "wanted for questioning" about the shooting. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the shooter's arrest and conviction.