Tag: new york

New Yorkers mockingly celebrated the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Washington Square Park with a truly tasteless shooter look-a-like contest — as the frantic manhunt for the brazen killer entered its fourth day.

Eight contestants donning hooded outerwear and face masks were surrounded Friday by dozens of onlookers, whose cheers amounted to votes in the nose-thumbing stunt.

The winner, whose green jacket and face covering made him a dead ringer for the cold-blooded assassin, said he headed toward the park after hearing about the contest that morning.

“I got no looks until I got over here and now everyone wants a picture with me,” he told The Post.

“He’s the one,” one onlooker remarked as he was introduced as “contestant number six.”

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The New York Police Department (NYPD) is crowd-sourcing their investigation into the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson to the general public after two days with no positive ID on the shooter. But they may not get much help from the internet, according to multiple popular TikTok sleuths.

NBC News reported that law enforcement is banking on the American public helping them identify the man seen in new photos released this week, which show the alleged assassin lowering his mask while flirting with a hostel concierge. Those are currently the only photos of the alleged killer in which his mask isn’t concealing his face, and law enforcement veterans have called them a “turning point” in the investigation.

But Savannah Sparks — who has 1.3 million TikTok followers and is known for helping track down perpetrators of racist and hateful attacks — was unequivocal in her refusal to help find Thompson’s murderer. Thompson told NBC she was “pretty apathetic” about the ongoing manhunt, and that her impression of the online sleuthing community’s current mood was: “[C]oncepts of thoughts and prayers.”

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BRIAN Thompson could have been assassinated with a rare WW2-inspired spy gun that had bullets with a secret message on them.

The UnitedHealthcare boss was assassinated in a brazen execution in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday in a chilling act caught on CCTV.

The gun used by the shooter appears to match a Brugger & Thomet VP9 – a Swiss gun that is known for its use by vets to put down large sick animals, like a horse, sources told the New York Post.

The inspiration for the firearm comes from a Welrod pistol – a British gun developed by special forces in WW2.

Its mechanical design and inbuilt suppressor meant the Welrod is quiet – so the shooter could assassinate Nazis.

The B&T VP9 shares an almost identical design, but is meant to be quiet so as not to scare other animals.

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The NYPD has recovered a backpack believed to belong to the masked gunman who brazenly assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was brutally murdered in a targeted attack outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday, where he was scheduled to attend UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

Surveillance footage reveals a masked assailant approaching Thompson from behind and firing multiple shots.

Despite an initial jam, the shooter quickly cleared the weapon and resumed firing, showcasing a high level of skill and experience.

“It does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said at the news conference.

After the attack, the gunman fled the scene on an e-bike, disappearing into Central Park.

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Detectives investigating the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson have uncovered a potential motive: shell casings at the crime scene were inscribed with words.

This discovery suggests the murder was a targeted act. Thompson, who earned nearly $9.9 million annually, had been with the company since 2004 and served as CEO for over three years.

Thompson, 50, was fatally shot on December 4, 2024, outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, where he was scheduled to host an investor conference.

Surveillance footage shows a masked gunman waiting for Thompson before approaching and firing multiple shots at close range.

Despite an initial jam, the shooter quickly cleared the weapon and resumed firing, showcasing a high level of skill and experience.

“It does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said at the news conference.

After the attack, the gunman fled the scene on an e-bike, disappearing into Central Park.

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United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the chest Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan in what is believed to be a targeted attack.

Thompson, 50, arrived before 7 am for a conference when he was shot at multiple times by a masked man who police say was waiting for him to arrive, the New York Post reports.

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