New Yorkers staged a controversial “shooter look-a-like” contest in Washington Square Park to mock the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as the manhunt for his killer stretched into its fourth day.
On Friday, December 6, eight participants, clad in hooded jackets and face coverings, competed in the impromptu event, cheered on by a sizable crowd. Audience applause determined the winner of the contest, which many found tasteless given the ongoing investigation into Thompson’s shocking murder.
United Healthcare CEO’s Shooter Look-A-Like Contest
The winner, dressed in a green jacket and mask resembling the gunman captured in surveillance footage, admitted he didn’t dress up specifically for the event. “I wear this everywhere,” he said, adding that the contest brought unexpected attention.
The top prize? A modest $50.
The spectacle unfolded as a NYC-based K-pop dance crew, GRL1S, performed nearby, adding to the surreal nature of the scene. One participant even carried a bubble gun and wore a sign reading “Deny Defend Depose” — words reportedly written on shell casings left at the crime scene.
Contestant #6 wins UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin lookalike contest in NYC:
“I mean, I am the guy. I just got back from Atlanta.” pic.twitter.com/gK829mwbiu
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 7, 2024
While some onlookers engaged in the mockery, others criticized the event. “Bro, I don’t know if you all should be doing this — but your life choices, I guess,” one spectator remarked.
Brian Thompson, 56, was fatally shot early Wednesday morning outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel while en route to an investor event. Despite his high-profile role, he was walking alone and without security.
Internet Stunned Over Look-A-Like Contest
Imagine the real guy showed up to this
— alex (@barelyyalex) December 7, 2024
All fun and games until the FBI is at his door tomorrow morning
— Ali Malone (@folkred12) December 7, 2024
Bro America is so weird yo😭😭
— Bro to Bro (@bro_tobro) December 7, 2024
Who Is United Healthcare CEO’s Killer?
The suspect fled the scene, biking through Central Park before boarding a bus out of the city, authorities reported. Surveillance images show the gunman briefly unmasking to flirt with a woman at a youth hostel on the Upper West Side, where he reportedly stayed.
By Saturday, December 7, Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that law enforcement had identified the suspect but had yet to make an arrest. The motive behind Thompson’s killing remains unclear, though it has ignited debates about corporate accountability and public sentiment towards the healthcare industry.
Police continue to search for the suspect, urging anyone with information to come forward. Meanwhile, the peculiar contest underscores the complex and, for some, unsettling ways society processes high-profile tragedies.
