Tim Walz reacts to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz responds to the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Walz, 60, went to X to respond to the “horrific news” that Thompson, 50, had been shot and killed in New York City.

“This is horrific news and a terrible loss for Minnesota businesses and health care,” he said wrote on X. “Minnesota sends our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.”

The health insurer, the largest in the US, is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Walz — who recently ran for VP on Kamala Harris’ ticket — was pictured with the CEO in 2022.

The CEO of America’s largest health insurer was shot dead by a masked assailant outside the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan shortly before 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

Thompson was fatally shot in the chest in a targeted attack by a masked man, who then fled down 6th Avenue and is wanted by police, witnesses said.

The suspect is on the run and is described as a white male wearing a cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a gray backpack.

Witnesses said the suspected gunman was waiting outside the hotel before the shooting, and that he knew which door Thompson would be coming out of before shooting him at close range.

The health insurer, the largest in the US, is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Walz — who recently ran for VP on Kamala Harris’ ticket — was pictured with the CEO in 2022

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot in the chest in a possible targeted attack by a masked man, who then fled down 6th Avenue and is wanted by police

The CEO was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition and was later pronounced dead.

Witness Amar Abdelmula, a driver, told the story PIX11: ‘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 him and ran across the street. I tried to take a photo, but too far away, not clear.

‘I was shocked. First time I see crime in front of me,” he added. ‘I was afraid that he [would] shoot me too, my car, I saw everything.’

Wednesday morning, a huge police presence arrived on the scene near W. 54th St. and 6th Avenue. The NYPD has not yet released a motive.

Hilton Hotel staff remained tight-lipped after the shooting, refusing to speak to reporters about the morning’s horrors.

Officials said hours after the shooting that they have made no arrests and that the investigation is ongoing.

CEO of parent company United Healthgroup, Andrew Witty, reportedly stopped a meeting at the Hilton Hotel just after 8 a.m. when he heard about the shooting.

He told those gathered: “We are dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members. As a result, I’m afraid we’ll have to end the event.”

The CEO was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition and was later pronounced dead

Thompson is survived by his wife Paulette “Pauley” Thompson, 51, and their two children who live in the family’s $1.5 million home in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021, reportedly making $10 million a year, and for several years before that led the Medicare business within UnitedHealthcare.

He was scheduled to speak at an investor meeting at the Hilton Hotel shortly after the shooting. He would announce the company’s hugely profitable financial outlook for 2025, including projected revenues of more than $450 billion, according to a United Healthcare press release on Tuesday.

United is the largest health insurer in America in terms of market share. The company has been the subject of frequent protests from activists for allegedly systematically denying care to patients.

One such protest earlier this year led to the arrest of 11 people outside United Healthcare’s headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

The company made headlines in February after it was subjected to a cyber attack that cost $872 million.

Thompson is survived by his wife, Paulette “Pauley” Thompson, 51, and their two children, who live in the family’s $1.5 million home in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

Mum-of-two Pauley is a practicing physiotherapist for Park Nicollet Health Services with over 20 years of experience.