'SNL' leans into jokes after UnitedHealthcare CEO killing: 'The guy just bicycled away'
This story was updated to include new information.
"Saturday Night Live" reflected a fed-up America back to itself over the weekend with a spate of jokes about the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The late-night sketch comedy show took aim at the NYPD and America's reaction to the crime Saturday during its "Weekend Update" segment with a series of one-liners about the killing and the ongoing manhunt for the suspect.
At the time of the sketch, the alleged gunman who shot and killed Thompson Wednesday outside the Hilton hotel in New York City where the CEO was staying was still unidentified. The murder has captivated Americans as new details continue to emerge that add intrigue. The suspect allegedly fled on an e-bike into Central Park before taking a bus out of the city.
A Maryland man has been detained in Pennsylvania and was being questioned about the shooting.
"This week, New York City officials sent a a tough message on crime: If you shoot somebody in the middle of the street, you better get on your bike, hop on a bus and get the heck outta here, mister," joked Colin Jost, a longtime "Weekend Update" co-host.
Jost also pointed out how close the shooting had been to the 30 Rockefeller Center, the building where "SNL" films.
"The guy just bicycled away," Jost quipped, "probably because they have every cop in the city guarding our Christmas Tree."
The UnitedHealthcare CEO was killed and many had little sympathy. Why?
"SNL" is not alone in poking fun at the murder. A look-alike contest for the alleged gunman, similar to those held for Timothée Chalamet and Glen Powell, took place in New York's Washington Square Park over the weekend.
That the murder has all the trappings of a Hollywood-produced crime thriller has only added fuel to the fire. Beyond the inscribed bullet casings, a backpack thought to belong to the killer was also found full of Monopoly money, which some were quick to argue was an allegory to the dangerous monopolies that exist in American healthcare.
"It really says something about America that a guy was murdered in cold blood and the two main reactions were 'Yeah, well healthcare stinks' and also 'Girl, that shooter hot,'" Jost joked.
"New York City police say that they were able to get the smiling picture of the suspect after the man apparently was caught on camera at a local hostel flirting with a female employee," Jost's co-host Michael Che chimed in.
While some social media posts voiced concern, calling the jokes "classless" and "sick," the segment reflected a larger swath of social media users, for whom Thompson's death has served as an opportunity to vent frustration and ire at a healthcare system they perceive as broken.
"Today, we mourn the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, gunned down.... wait, I'm sorry - today we mourn the deaths of the 68,000 Americans who needlessly die each year so that insurance company execs like Brian Thompson can become multimillionaires," Anthony Zenkus, a professor at Columbia University, posted on X to the tune of 112,000 likes.
Contributing: Christopher Cann, Jorge L. Ortiz, Ken Alltucker, Jeanine Santucci, N'dea Yancey-Bragg
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'SNL' CEO skit: UnitedHealthcare shooting jokes echo an angry America