Masked gunman kills United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York

Thompson, 50, from Minnesota, was shot in the chest and later died at Mount Sinai West Hospital from his injuries

Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of United Healthcare, was shot and killed early Wednesday morning by a masked man near a Midtown Manhattan hotel, according to police sources. The gunfire erupted just before 7 a.m. near the New York Hilton on Sixth Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets.

Thompson, from Minnesota, was struck in the chest and rushed to Mount Sinai West Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Police sources suggest that the shooting appears to be targeted, though the motive remains unclear.

Thompson, who was in New York City for an investors conference, was not staying at the Hilton, sources added. His schedule had been widely known, increasing the possibility that he was deliberately targeted.

"I wasn’t paying attention and then I heard the shot. It was a silent gun, a black gun. I saw him after he shot and was running across the street. I tried to take a picture, but I was too far away, it wasn’t clear," said Amar Abdelmula, a driver who witnessed the incident.

The gunman, described as a skinny man wearing all black and about 6-foot-1, fled the scene and escaped down an alleyway near West 55th Street. He remains at large, according to police.

"I was shocked. It’s the first time I’ve seen crime right in front of me," Abdelmula added. "I was afraid he might shoot me too, my car—I saw everything."