Police are intensifying their search for a masked gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a busy New York City street Wednesday morning.

Thompson, 50, was a prominent figure in the health-care industry, leading one of the nation’s largest insurers. A married father of two teenage sons, he lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was in New York City to speak at an investor meeting at the Hilton Midtown.

The attack unfolded just steps from the hotel entrance. Thompson was alone and preparing to enter the building when the gunman shot him in the back, police said. The suspect then fled on foot and escaped on an e-bike into Central Park.

As police continue the search for the shooter, here’s what we know about Thompson’s life and career at UnitedHealthcare.

Thompson went to high school at South Hamilton High School in  Jewell Junction, Iowa.

On Wednesday, the South Hamilton Community School District released a statement on Facebook about the shooting. 

“The South Hamilton Community School District is deeply saddened and shocked by the death of Brian Thompson, a beloved member of our school community and 1993 valedictorian,” the statement read.

It added that Thompson was a “star student, athlete, homecoming king, and a respected leader. His achievements and character left a meaningful legacy within our schools and community.”

After high school, Thompson began his professional journey as a certified public accountant, graduating from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a bachelor of business administration in accounting.

In 2004, Thompson took a position with UnitedHealthcare, based in the Minneapolis suburb of Minnetonka, his LinkedIn showed. He started as the director on the UnitedHealth Corporate Development team, specializing in mergers and acquisitions.

UnitedHealthcare is a multinational health insurance and services company and is the largest insurer in the United States.

According to the company’s website, it works with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals and over 6,700 hospitals and care facilities in the U.S.

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According to the company’s LinkedIn, UnitedHealthcare employs 140,000 people across the U.S. and globally, and is ranked sixth on the Fortune 500 list.

In 2010, Thompson became the CFO of UnitedHealthcare Community & State and later moved between various departments within the company, continuing in CFO roles for several years.

Thompson was appointed the CEO of the company’s Medicare and retirement business.  And then in 2021, he became the CEO of the company.

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As CEO of UnitedHealthcare, he was responsible for leading growth across the company’s global, employer, individual, specialty and government benefits businesses, according to a 2021 company statement announcing his appointment.

In 2023, Thompson earned a total compensation of $10.2 million, according to a disclosure by UnitedHealth Group. It included his annual salary, bonus and stock option awards.

UnitedHealthcare brought in $281 billion in revenue last year.

In a statement on Wednesday, the company said, “We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague. 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.”

Thompson was married with two sons and lived in Maple Grove, Minn., about a 20-minute drive from the company’s headquarters.

His wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News on Wednesday that her husband had been receiving threats.

“There had been some threats,” she said. “I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”

NBC News cited her as saying police had told her the shooting was “a planned attack.”

In a statement to Fox News, she also said,  “Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives. Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.

— with files from the Associated Press