As investigators try to identify the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Wednesday, the type of weapon that was used could have been unusual for the crime.
Police are looking into the possibility that the shooter used a veterinary pistol, New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters on Friday.
Such guns are used on farms to euthanize animals quietly, though Kenny said the use of a veterinary pistol hasn’t been confirmed.
The gunman immediately fled the scene of the crime and is believed to have already left New York City on a bus. A weapon hasn’t been recovered, but sources told the New York Post on Saturday that police divers are looking for the gun in the lake near the Central Park Boathouse.
On Friday, police searching Central Park found a distinctive backpack that may have belonged to the suspected killer. Sourced told the Post that the bag contained a jacket and “high-end” apparel.
Security video shows the gunman firing shots at Thompson using a gun that appeared to be equipped with a silencer.
After firing each shot, the gunman racked back the pistol to load a new round, then racked it again when it jammed, John Monaghan, a retired NYPD captain, told CNN on Friday.
“It’s a very unique weapon. The length of the barrel in that video right there tells us it most probably is a veterinary pistol,” he added.
The need to manually reload the weapon contrasts with most handguns, which automatically put a fresh round in the chamber after a shot is fired without having to rack it back by hand.
Meanwhile, investigators are also looking at whether the shooter may have been a disgruntled employee or client of UnitedHealthcare, Kenny said.
UnitedHealthcare is the largest U.S. insurer and provides coverage for more than 49 million Americans.
Other clues the suspect may have left behind include a cell phone found along the escape route as well as a water bottle and a wrapper for a protein bar, both of which have been tested for DNA.
“We’re not going to solve this in 60 minutes. We’re painstakingly going through every bit of evidence that we can come across,” Kenny said. “Eventually, when an apprehension is made, we will have to present all of these facts to a judge and jury, so we’re taking our time, doing it right and making sure we’re going to get justice for this victim and closure for his family.”
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