December 8th 2024.
Do you recognize these individuals? It seems they were all vying for the chance to resemble the elusive gunman responsible for the recent tragic death of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson. In a questionable turn of events, New Yorkers gathered in Washington Square Park for a lookalike competition just days after Thompson was fatally shot.
The eight contestants, dressed in hoods and masks, participated in this crude event on Saturday morning while the search for Thompson's killer continued. The winner, determined by the cheers of onlookers, received a prize of $50 and shared that he too has grievances with health insurance companies, despite not being a UnitedHealthcare customer. Another contestant caught attention with a sign bearing the ominous words "Deny Defend Depose," which were found on the shell casings used in the shooting.
Posters advertising the lookalike competition could be found all around New York City, drawing the winner to join in after learning of the event on Saturday morning. He shared, "There was a post about a lookalike competition, I thought I could probably shave my mustache and put on my normal outfit. I think I could pull it off a little bit, especially since the killer has a mask on." He also mentioned that the jacket he wore was similar to the one the killer was wearing, and he received the most cheers in an impromptu vote among the audience. Despite rumors of money being involved, the winner did not receive any compensation and instead pledged to donate half to Palestinian relief. He also expressed uncertainty about who organized the event, with a passerby shouting out their disapproval of the contest.
On Thursday, the New York Police Department released striking images of the suspected hitman, including a photo of him grinning while flirting with a woman at a youth hostel where he was staying. The FBI, Crime Stoppers, and the NYPD are offering a reward of $60,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the killer.
As the contest was underway, New York City mayor Eric Adams stated that the "net is tightening" on the smiling assassin. Police have identified the killer, but are not disclosing his identity to the public at this time. Adams explained, "We don't want to release that now. If you do, you are basically giving a tip to the person we are seeking and we do not want to give him an upper hand at all. Let him continue to believe he can hide behind the mask. We revealed his face. We're going to reveal who he is and we're going to bring him to justice."
During a second sweep of Central Park on Friday evening, police found the killer's distinctive backpack, along with a jacket and fake money. The killer spent only a few minutes in the park before fleeing the scene of the crime. He was last seen entering the park at 6:48am and was spotted on 77th Street in Manhattan at 6:56am. The search for him continues, with authorities determined to bring him to justice for the senseless murder of Brian Thompson, a father-of-two who earned a yearly salary of $10 million as CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
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