December 5, 2024: Police investigate after Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare CEO, was fatally shot in New York

Video Ad Feedback CNN obtains video of fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO 02:30 - Source: CNN

A gunman steps from the shadows behind a parked SUV just as UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson walks by, oblivious to the assassin lying in wait.

Surveillance video shows the gunman quickly raising his pistol and firing, striking Thompson from behind. The insurance company CEO goes to the ground as a bystander flees — the shooter paying the bystander no attention.

If this was a targeted attack as officials say, the ability of the shooter to predict Thompson’s early morning movements will be key to identifying a psychological profile and motive of the apparent assassin.

The graphic video appears to depict a gunman with at least some sophistication in using a firearm equipped with a suppressor device that muzzles the loud sound of gunfire.

While a standard semi-automatic handgun is designed to repeatedly fire rounds with each press of the trigger, the apparent attachment of a suppressor appears to require more intervention by the shooter to manually prepare each round to be fired, which he handles deftly.

At one point in the video, the gun seemingly jams, and the shooter quickly resolves the malfunction and continues to fire before fleeing.

The method of attack, posture of the shooter, and his ability to quickly resolve the gun’s malfunction depict a skilled marksman.

Members of law enforcement and the military, for example, routinely practice so-called “immediate action drills” — tests to see how quickly an officer in a simulated gunfight can clear a weapon of a malfunction and then rapidly get the firearm back on target and ready to fire.

As NYPD officials continue to build out their profile of the shooter, the second-by-second clues visible in the chilling final moments of Thompson’s life provide insight into the actions of a gunman who was not new to the use of a firearm in a high-stress situation. It raises questions about whether he was acting on his own grievances or as a trained assassin enlisted by someone else.