It’s not often that a cold-blooded murder sparks celebration, but the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson seems to be good news among certain circles, with some praising the anonymous gunman for his actions.

This weekend took a surreal and disturbing turn when Washington Square Park in New York became the venue for a “lookalike” competition for the suspected shooter.

The gunman, whose masked face has been widely shared on social media, fatally shot the health care executive and fled the scene on December 4.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot by an unidentified assailant on December 4

Image credits: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Image credits: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Officials managed to find surveillance footage of him, including a shot of him smiling on a hostel security camera. They also found the backpack he discarded while escaping. However, his identity and whereabouts continue to remain a mystery.

While the high-profile search for the anonymous gunman continues, local residents gathered at Washington Square Park for a lookalike competition.

Participants dressed up in outfits that matched the CEO shooter while still on the run.

One netizen called the event “macabre,” while another described it as “the most NYC thing I’ve seen all week.”

Investigators are working to hunt down the suspect who has been on the run since shooting the health care executive

Image credits: businesswire

Image credits: ABC News

“The real CEO shooter could join the competition and we’d never know it’s him,” read a third comment while a fourth said, “Plot twist. NYPD hosted the event and have been rounding up the contestants as possible suspects.”

“Funniest possible timeline where the shooter shows up to this himself and ends up losing,” said another.

“Dressing like a villain is the new flex apparently,” and, “We live in a truly dystopian society,” also appeared in the comments.

The ghoulish “lookalike competition” wasn’t the only way the suspected killer garnered attention. Online sleuths turned their focus to decoding his outfit choice. Moreover, the jacket believed to be worn by the fugitive has become a fashion statement, and even sold out online.

A “lookalike” competition for the gunman was held in Washington Square Park, attracting attention and social commentary

Image credits: Eyewitness News ABC7NY

Image credits: Eyewitness News ABC7NY

The Sherpa Lined Two Picket Hooded Trucker Jacket by Levi’s, sold at Macy’s for the retail price of $225, flew off the virtual shelves of the company’s website.

About 700 of them were purchased in the span of two days, TMZ reported.

As the police intensify their manhunt, two online fundraisers have also emerged in support of the fugitive suspected of assassinating the CEO.

Kristy Erickson, who set up a GoFundMe page, sought to raise $100,000 for the gunman’s legal defense.

“This one needs no introduction,” she said in the fundraiser. “For too long, insurance companies have victimized sick people; this man is their karma.”

“[He] did what the rest of us won’t,” she added.

Grievances against insurance companies emerged online, creating a context of collective frustration, following the CEO’s death

Image credits: supermr34/Reddit

Image credits: ScooterCasterNY

“As a mother of an autistic kid, I’m sure my day with the insurance companies is coming too, so I offer to help this man as it came to me in a dream,” she went on to say.

The mother also urged legal professionals to help by offering donations or taking up the case themselves.

“This man deserves to be heard!” she wrote on the fundraiser, which is no longer available on the website.

“We are righting a lot of wrongs in this country; this is just one.”

“All funds will be given to the legal defense of the man that gunned down Brian Thompson,” she assured readers.

The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were found emblazoned on the ammunition used to kill Brian Thompson

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Image credits: ScooterCasterNY

NYC: People began to arrive to the CEO Shooter lookalike competition in Washington Square Park in NYC pic.twitter.com/cZRwrz5FEU

— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) December 7, 2024

Another organizer, Victoria Bell, had also set up a GoFundMe campaign with the title, “CEO Smiler.” Her campaign took a different tone as she aimed to raise $50,000 for the gunman’s funeral expenses in case he dies in “a blaze of glory.”

Victoria said she was also seeking funds to “commission a respectable statue of this hero of the people.” The fundraiser is no longer available on the website.

Since the news of Brian’s murder shocked the country, a number of people have come forward with their grievances related to UnitedHealthcare. The multinational company is one of the US’s largest health insurers, providing coverage to more than 49 million Americans.

However, UnitedHealthcare has been accused by multiple patients, doctors, and lawmakers of denying claims or complicating access to care.

The shooter’s jacket rapidly sold out online, highlighting society’s strange fixation with antiheroes

Image credits: macys

Image credits: NYPDnews

Image credits: New York Post

“Many Americans view these companies as driven by profit rather than a commitment to serve their customers. And this creates a big disconnect,” Mario Macis, a Johns Hopkins economist who studies trust in the health care system, told AP News.

Investigators revealed that the ammunition, used to murder Brian, contained the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose.” These words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” often associated with insurance companies when they want to minimize payouts by delaying payments, denying claims and defending their actions.

“The longer they can delay and deny the claim, the longer they can hold onto their money and they’re not paying it out,” Lea Keller, managing partner at Lewis and Keller, a North Carolina-based personal-injury law firm, told the outlet.

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Following Brian’s death, the internet reflected people’s frustration with health insurers.

“I would be happy to help look for the shooter but vision isn’t covered under my healthcare plan,” said one jibe, while another added, “Billionaires should really pay attention to the fact that the death of one of their own has united the left and right against the top 1 percent and been a week long celebration. If this many people hate you and are happy you’re gone, there’s a problem.”

Jokes like “I would be happy to help look for the shooter but vision isn’t covered under my healthcare plan” reflect public dissatisfaction with the healthcare system

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