SNL Criticized For ‘Weekend Update’ Segment Mocking Assassination Of UnitedHealthcare CEO

Keep it classy. We've seen some pretty disgusting reactions since the shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City this past weekend. The CEO was in NYC for an investors conference on Wednesday when he was gunned down on the sidewalk outside of his hotel in what police are calling a targeted attack. The suspect is still on the run after fleeing on an e-bike to Central Park and reportedly hopping on a bus out of town soon after the shooting. Authorities have released several photos that they were able to gather of the suspect during his time in NYC, and also found a backpack containing Monopoly money and a jacket in the park that they believe to have belonged to the assassin, but so far they haven't released a possible identity or motive for the shooting. Of course the health insurance industry isn't exactly popular in the United States, and after it was revealed that the words "delay," "deny" and "depose" were found written on the shell casings at the scene of the attack, many began to speculate that the shooting was motivated by some sort of grievance with the insurance company. And in the wake of the brazen shooting, we've also seen some pretty classless reactions from people celebrating the attack on an insurance industry executive. Former adult film star Mia Khalifa tweeted that Thompson "deserved to bleed out," and former Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz was criticized for seemingly justifying the attack. We've also seen folks seemingly idolizing the shooter, with a lookalike contest being held in NYC and many people commenting on the assassin's attractiveness. So of course we shouldn't have expected any less from the comedic geniuses over at Saturday Night Live. Last night during their "Weekend Update" segment, SNL just couldn't help themselves as they mocked Thompson's death, with host Colin Jost kicking things off: "The manhunt continues for the assassin who gunned down the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on Wednesday. And 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.'" https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/1865649568794239467 Great stuff, guys. Well apparently joking about a man's murder (even if his company isn't the most popular) before his killer is even found didn't go over well with some people. Who'd have thunk it, right?

Making light of someone being murdered is in poor taste..

— Linda Farris (@linda_farris914) December 8, 2024

Classless. Plenty of other topics to try to make jokes about. But when your show isn’t funny gotta reach for anything.

— GroverISU (@GroverISU) December 8, 2024

Why is anyone surprised by their lack of empathy? This is a sad and pathetic network and show! No surprise here!

— MJ Hilliard (@MJHilliard68) December 8, 2024

SNL is pure trash after making light of a murder. Grieving wife and two kids. Be better.

— SayNoToSocialism (@no2socialsm) December 8, 2024

That’s how callus and cold hearted most people have become. A man was murdered and the disgusting people at #SNL think it would make good comedy.

— Frank Drebin (@FrankDrebi44776) December 8, 2024

Fucking asswipes, making fun of the guy’s murder. You dumbfucks looking for ratings? No one watches your lame shit show

— carl thompson (@Lcthompson1954) December 8, 2024

And look, at the risk of sounding insensitive, I get the urge to want to joke about one of the biggest news stories of the week. And some of the jokes were actually pretty funny, like when Jost remarked that looking for somebody who looks like a murderer on a NY Port Authority bus "actually widens the search." But when the guy's wife and kids have to hear jokes about people celebrating his death? I know comedy is supposed to push boundaries, but seems like some things should be approached with a little more class.