UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter used potential WW2 style gun, traveled from Atlanta to NYC ahead of murder: report

New information has been revealed about the suspect in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday. The suspect came to New York last month by bus and used a potential WW2 style firearm.   

According to Fox News, the suspect came to New York City in October on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta and boarded the bus the day before Thanksgiving. A Greyhound spokesperson told reporters, "We are fully cooperating with authorities on this active investigation. As it is ongoing, we cannot provide further comment at this time."  

Additionally, he may have used a modern version of a  WW2 spy gun in order to carry out the murder, per the New York Post. The gun the shooter used appears to be a match to the B&T VP9, which the Post reported is version of a suppressed weapon used in World War 2 called a Welrod pistol.  

The firearm has not been recovered, however, a recent purchase of the specialty made firearm from a Connecticut-based gunsmith may be a lead for investigators.  

The suspect also reportedly dropped a burner phone in an alley after the shooting. Investigators are analyzing the data on the phone and fingerprints that were left on the device. Police are also studying DNA from a water bottle that was left at a Starbucks near the scene of the murder where the suspect paid in cash.  

The suspect also paid in cash and used a fake ID to check into the AYH Hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side before the killing.  

Former NYPD inspector Paul Mauro told Fox News that since the type of firearm used by the assassin is possibly a rare weapon, it might work to law enforcement’s advantage. "The speculation is that it's a hitman, it's a professional killer, and all this sort of stuff…I would just hesitate on that and tell people to just be mindful of the fact that professional hitmen primarily exist in the movies. They don't really exist."  

Thompson was killed by the suspect around 7 am Wednesday outside of the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan. A newly revealed surveillance video showed the suspect walking down 55th Street at 6:19 am to the hotel where the shooting occurred.  

It was revealed Wednesday that the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” were also found on the shell casings at the scene. Following the murder, the suspect ran into an alley and then used an e-bike to continue his escape into Central Park at 6:48 am. Police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the shooter.