A man sought by authorities in the fatal shooting of a health insurance executive may ultimately be brought down, in part, due to flirting.
On Thursday, New York City police released images showing the face of someone described as a “person of interest” in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which happened the day before in midtown Manhattan. One grainy image showed the hooded individual smiling and leaning one arm on a counter, with what appeared to be a face mask pulled down below the chin.
New York City Police Department via Associated Press
Later on Thursday, multiple news outlets reported that this image was captured during a flirtatious moment.
A law enforcement official told CNN that the suspect had pulled down his face mask while flirting with a woman who was working a check-in desk at an Upper West Side hostel, where he had been staying in the days leading up to the shooting.
Police sources told ABC News the same thing, adding that the woman at the desk had asked to see his smile, prompting him to remove his mask and flash the grin seen in the now-famous image.
The homicide of Thompson, who was shot outside a hotel in what police believe was a planned and targeted attack, has been met with a strikingly cold response online. Overwhelming numbers of people have reacted to the death with jokes that reflect their frustration and anger with health care in the United States, and with health insurance companies in particular. Variations of “thoughts and prayers are out of network” were common in comments on social media and under news stories in the wake of Thompson’s death.
Reports of the hostel flirtation ― and the accompanying image ― only fueled more jokes and playful remarks, with many observing the grinning man’s apparent resemblance to actor Timothée Chalamet.
Law enforcement’s search for the gunman continued Saturday, with police noting that he had likely fled the city on a bus.
