Dec 9 (Reuters) - Authorities on Monday were questioning

a man in central Pennsylvania in connection with last week's

murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, NBC News and the

New York Times reported, citing unnamed law enforcement sources.

The man, located in Altoona, drew the attention of

investigators because he possessed a gun, silencer and false

identification cards similar to those used by the gunman,

according to the Times. NBC reported the man being questioned

was found with a gun similar to the one used in the killing.

Thompson, 50, was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel

early on Wednesday morning by a masked man who appeared to wait

for his arrival before shooting the executive from behind.

The suspect, who has not been identified by police, ran from

the scene and then rode a bike into Central Park. Surveillance

video captured him exiting the park and taking a taxi to a bus

station in northern Manhattan, where police believe he used a

bus to flee the city.

Thompson, a father of two, had been CEO of UnitedHealth

Group's ( UNH ) insurance unit since April 2021, part of a

20-year career with the company. He had been in New York to

attend the company's annual investor conference.