(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) New Yorkers reveled in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Friday by participating in a shooter look-a-like contest.
An unidentified gunman shot Thompson dead early Wednesday in Midtown Manhattan, donning a black face mask and a hooded jacket. Days later, eight contestants gathered to compare cosplays of the fugitive suspect, according to the New York Post, as social media users celebrated the CEO’s murder interpreted as a criticism of insurance companies.
A UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer lookalike competition was held today in New York. pic.twitter.com/jtvBQWBpxv
— Pop Base (@PopBase) December 7, 2024
Dozens of bystanders judged the competition, and whoever received the most cheer was to be declared the winner, the outlet reported
“Contestant number six” won the contest by showing up dressed in a green jacket and dark face covering.
“I got no looks until I got over here and now everyone wants a picture with me,” the winner doppelgänger told the Post. He said his costume was not difficult to put together, saying, “I wear this everywhere.”
One contestant wore a large sign that read “Deny, Defend, Depose” — the words written on the actual shooter’s shell casing left behind at the scene.
NEW: New Yorkers hold a UnitedHealthcare CEO k*ller lookalike competition.
The following person was the winner.
"I'm glad people do not feel great about the current state of things & are willing to openly express that."
He looks a little too similar. pic.twitter.com/IcXsDLHve0
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 7, 2024
Some onlookers egged the competitors on, while others were critical of them playing dress up as a murderer.
“Bro, I don’t know if you all should be doing this—but your life choices, I guess,” one bystander was heard shouting, according to the outlet.
The shooter targeted Thompson as he exited the Hilton hotel without security around 6:46 a.m. ahead of an investor meeting, the outlet reported.
New photos of the suspected United Healthcare CEO shooter have been released: pic.twitter.com/wQfZK7lxNg
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) December 8, 2024
Police said the suspect fled through Central Park, leaving behind a backpack containing monopoly, before exiting the New York City on a bus. Multiple photos of the suspect from surveillance cameras have since been released, including one in which he flirted with the receptionist at an Upper West Side hostel he stayed at upon entering the city.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and the American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
