A vile lookalike competition has taken place in New York with attendees encouraged to dress up as Brian Thompson’s killer.
The tasteless event took place in Washington Square Park on Saturday morning, while the manhunt for the killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO continued for the fourth day.
Eight contestants entered the event where they were seen donning hooded jackets and face masks in an attempt to look like the at-large assassin.
The winner said that he headed towards the park in Manhattan after hearing about the contest on Saturday morning.
He said: ‘There was a post about a lookalike competition, I thought I could probably shave my moustache and put on my normal outfit.
‘I believe I could somewhat resemble him, as I didn’t see if he has hair, which makes it a bit easier. Additionally, he was wearing a mask, so it’s not too difficult to mimic that,’
‘The jacket I definitely had, somebody ran an impromptu vote among people that were here and I got the most cheers. I did not make any money.
‘I am grateful for the vote of confidence; apparently, there was a monetary incentive, and I mentioned that I would donate half to aid Palestinians. I am unaware of who organized the event or if there was any.
The winner said that he had his own problems with health insurance companies over medication that he was on, but was not a customer of UnitedHealthcare.
Another contestant had a handwritten sign draped over his black clothing that said ‘Deny Defend Depose’, three words that the gunman had written on the shell casings.
The New York Post reported that one passing person shouted: ‘I don’t know if you all should be doing this – but your life choices I guess.’
As the contest was underway, New York City mayor Eric Adams said the ‘net is tightening’ on his killer, telling reporters that officers now have a name for the suspect.
He spoke as the search for Thompson’s killer enters its fourth day but said that the authorities will not disclose the suspect’s identity at this stage.
‘We don’t want to release that now,’ he said. ‘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.’
On Friday night the NYPD gave a clearer idea of the killer’s movements after he murdered Thompson.
They say he entered the park after the shooting at 6:48am and then was spotted exiting on 77th Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan oat 6:56am.
Surveillance footage captured him near 86th Street and Columbus Avenue two minutes after he left the park, while still on his bike.
At 7:04 am he then go into a taxi cab at 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue and headed north.
By 7:30 am he had made it to the Port Authority bus terminal in the north of the city where they say he boarded a bus and left the city.
On Thursday officials said the individual had arrived into the city in late November on a bus from Atlanta, Georgia, and had been staying inside a hostel on the Upper West Side.
It was inside the hostel that a flirty exchange with a hostel worker gave police officers their first glimpse at the killer, when he was asked to lower his mask.
The Chief of Detectives with the NYPD Joseph Kenny has said that they believe the assassin is either a disgruntled ex-employee or an angry client.
The distinctive backpack he wore while killing Thompson was recovered from Central Park on Friday evening.
On Saturday, police sources told NBC News that a jacket was found inside alongside Monopoly money.
The bag was found by cops on their second sweep of the park, and was placed between boulders just south of the park’s carousel.
On Saturday footage obtained by DailyMail.com showed teams of police divers in the water near the Bethseda fountain as part of their search.
Investigators confirmed the underwater search was related to Wednesday’s ‘brazen, targeted attack’, which claimed the life of the father-of-two.
