1776Reporting
Washington Square Park turned into a hub of controversy as New Yorkers held a shooter look-alike contest mocking the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The event unfolded against the backdrop of an intense manhunt for the killer, now in its fourth day.
A crowd of onlookers cheered as eight contestants, dressed in hooded jackets and face masks resembling the assassin’s outfit, vied for the title of most convincing doppelgänger.
“I got no looks until I got over here, and now everyone wants a picture with me,” the winner said, basking in the attention. Clad in a green jacket and face covering eerily similar to the suspect’s, the champion’s outfit won the audience’s votes — and a $50 prize.
“He’s the one,” an onlooker joked, pointing out the winner, introduced as “contestant number six.” The winner revealed that the attire wasn’t a costume but his regular wardrobe, remarking, “I wear this everywhere.”
While some attendees saw the humor in the spectacle, others questioned the morality of the stunt. “Bro, I don’t know if you all should be doing this – but your life choices, I guess,” one onlooker shouted.
A Symbolic Message
The event wasn’t without its sharp commentary. One participant fired a bubble gun while wearing a sign bearing the phrase “Deny Defend Depose” — the chilling words left behind by the assassin on shell casings at the crime scene.
“People do not feel great about the current state of things in our world,” the winner commented, referencing the widespread dissatisfaction with health insurance companies. Although he noted personal struggles with accessing medication, he admitted he wasn’t a UnitedHealthcare customer.
The Crime and the Hunt
Brian Thompson was gunned down early Wednesday morning outside a Midtown hotel. The CEO was en route to an investor event, traveling without security when the assassin struck.
Surveillance footage captured the killer’s brazen escape. He fled on a bike through Central Park and later boarded a bus out of the city, police confirmed. The manhunt intensified as investigators pieced together his movements, including an unsettling detail: the suspect was seen lowering his mask to flirt with a youth hostel employee before his crime.
Despite these clues, the assassin remains at large. However, Mayor Eric Adams expressed confidence in the ongoing investigation. “The net is tightening,” Adams told reporters during a holiday event in Harlem.
Community Outrage or Catharsis?
The shooter look-alike contest has sparked heated debates about its appropriateness. While some see it as dark humor reflecting societal frustrations, others criticize it as distasteful and insensitive given the gravity of the crime.
As authorities close in on the fugitive, the event at Washington Square Park serves as a stark reminder of how tragedy can polarize public sentiment — turning collective shock into both protest and spectacle.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings