In a strange twist in the wake of the broad daylight murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a shooter look-alike contest unfolded in New York, even as a manhunt for the real killer was mounted.
Thompson was shot outside the luxury Hilton Hotel on Thursday morning by a masked gunman who fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene on a bicycle. The shocking incident was captured on CCTV, raising concerns about safety in the area.
Eight contestants dressed as their favorite killers arrived in hooded clothing and face masks to enter the look-alike competition. They quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers, who cheered and cast votes for their favorites. One contestant even brandished a bubble gun with the phrase “Deny, Defend, Depose” inscribed on it—words that echoed the chilling bullet casings left by the assailant.
The winner, who was clad in a green jacket and mask, bore a striking resemblance to the suspected shooter. “I didn’t get much attention until I got here, but now everyone wants a picture with me,” he told The New York Post. Despite receiving $50 for his appearance, he mentioned that his outfit was something he usually wore.
Addressing the general feeling of unease that pervades the community, he related his own trials with health insurance coverage, saying, “People do not feel great about the current state of things in our world.”
Manhunt Intensifies
After the murder, the attacker reportedly bicycled through Central Park and then out of the city on a bus. New York Mayor Eric Adams said that police have a suspect in their sights: “The net is tightening.”
The authorities released the surveillance images, which show the shooter lowering his mask to flirt with a woman at the place of residence-a youth hostel he is believed to have stayed at-furthering this shocking crime investigation.
