A former FBI agent is pointing to a "major clue" in the ambush-style killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
"Why pick a Hostel where you would bunk with others?" retired investigator Jennifer Coffindaffer wrote on X Friday. "They are cheap."
"Was price the motive to stay at a hostel?" she continued. "If this guy were paid by someone to perform the hit, wouldn't he demand money to pay for more private and comfortable accommodations? The hostel is a major clue in my book."
In the post, Coffindaffer also noted the shooter arrived in New York City 10 days prior to the incident and was "flirty" during check-in.
"He wanted to show his smile when asked," she wrote, describing his interaction with a female front desk hostel worker caught on surveillance video before the shooting. "Other than this moment, at least to our knowledge, he was masked throughout his public time in NY."
Quick update on latest details as we begin Day 3 of the Manhunt oof rhe Unidentified shooter:
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) December 6, 2024
*The Shooter of #BrianThompson is seen on various video devices all over New York. Recall he spent 10 days in the city prior to the assassination.
*He is flirty. He wanted to show his… pic.twitter.com/CbIFN4bi98
The mysterious gunman accused of killing 50-year-old Thompson outside the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan leading up to the company's annual investors meeting Wednesday morning remains on the lam as the frantic manhunt enters its third day.
The suspect fatally shot the health insurance company CEO in the back and leg before fleeing through an alleyway and hopping on an e-bike to facilitate his getaway. He boarded a bus and left New York City that same day.
It "appeared the suspect was lying in wait" for at least five minutes before he approached the victim and fired off several rounds in "a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack," NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at a press briefing earlier this week.
On Thursday, police released surveillance images of the shooter with his face mask pulled down, smiling as he used a fake New Jersey ID to check into the HI New York City Hostel in Manhattan prior to carrying out the deadly ambush on Thompson.
Police, who are still working to confirm his identity, described the suspect as a light-skinned male, last seen wearing a light brown or cream colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a "very distinctive" gray backpack.
Investigators have a 'reason to believe' that the suspected gunman has already fled New York City, according to CNN's Omar Jimenez.
A $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information leading to an arrest.
A motive remains under investigation.
