New Yorkers humorously celebrated the supposed assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Washington Square Park with a tasteless shooter look-alike contest, as the intense manhunt for the bold killer reached its fourth day.
On Friday, eight participants dressed in hooded outerwear and face masks were surrounded by a crowd of spectators, with cheers determining the winner of the audacious stunt.
The victorious contestant, sporting a green jacket and face covering resembling the cold-blooded assassin, revealed that he joined the contest after hearing about it that morning.
“I didn’t attract much attention until I came here, and now everyone wants a photo with me,” he shared with The Post.
One observer remarked, “He’s the one,” as the contestant was introduced as “contestant number six.”
The look-alike mentioned that he didn’t have to dress up specifically for the contest, stating, “I wear this outfit everywhere.”
His striking resemblance earned him a prize of $50.
The winner mentioned his own struggles with health insurance coverage for some medications, although he clarified that he is not a UnitedHealthcare client.
“People are feeling uneasy about the current state of affairs in our world,” he remarked on the unsympathetic response to the CEO’s shocking murder.
One contestant, shooting a bubble gun, displayed a handwritten sign with “Deny Defend Depose” – the three words the gunman scribbled on the shell casings found at the crime scene.
“I’m not sure if you all should be doing this, but I guess it’s your life choices,” someone shouted as the contestants gathered together.
Thompson was fatally shot outside a Midtown hotel early on Wednesday morning as he walked to an investor event, without any security measures.
The assailant quickly fled after the recorded killing, rode through Central Park on a bicycle, and eventually left the city on a bus, according to authorities.
Police released surveillance images showing the shooter pulling down his mask to interact with a woman at a youth hostel where he likely stayed upon arrival in the city.
As of Saturday evening, the shooter remains at large, but Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that the police have identified him.
“The noose is tightening,” the mayor informed reporters outside a Police Athletic League holiday event in Harlem on Saturday.
