‘SNL’ Slammed For Making Jokes About Murder Of UnitedHealthcare CEO

Many viewers were not laughing at the Weekend Update bit on the most recent episode of “Saturday Night Live” as it made jokes about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Saturday night’s episode of the sketch comedy show included hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che making a few jokes about the circumstances surrounding Thompson’s death on December 4, including the NYPD’s search for the shooter and reactions to the exec’s assassination.

“This week, New York City officials sent a tough message on crime,” Jost said, mocking law enforcement for not having a suspect in custody yet. “‘If you shoot somebody in the middle of the street, you better get on your bike, hop on a bus, and get the heck out of here, mister.'”

“The manhunt continues for the assassin who gunned down the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on Wednesday,” Jost went on. “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.'”

CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Jost also mentioned the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, which happened the same day Thompson was murdered. “It’s also so crazy that the shooting happened three blocks from here in broad daylight, and the guy just bicycled away. Probably because they have every cop in the city guarding our Christmas tree,” he said.

“The NYPD now believes the suspect left the city on a bus from Port Authority. Thanks, but a Port Authority passenger who looks like a murderer actually widens the search,” Jost went on.

“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, whose name has been reported as ‘Lucky S. Bechalive,'” Che said.

Reactions to the bit have been mixed, with many saying the bit was in poor taste as Thompson was a husband and father to two young sons.

“Long time viewer of SNL. I don’t consider myself particularly [sensitive] to any topic, but in today’s Weekend Update edition they made jokes about the United Health CEO gunned down in NYC. That was really distasteful and disrespectful. SNL, you need to do better,” one X user wrote.

“Disgusting. I couldn’t watch this segment. The victim’s family and friends are very much grieving right now,” one commenter wrote in response to a YouTube clip of the segment. 

“Agreed,” said another. “I don’t usually watch SNL, and I can see by the segment and comments supporting it, that I will no longer be watching it. Joking about someone’s murder like that is absolutely disgusting… a family is grieving right now.”

Thompson was gunned down last Wednesday morning by a masked assassin. Some people on social media openly celebrated the CEO’s death as they insisted it was retribution for corruption and greed in the healthcare industry.

On Monday, police arrested Luigi Mangione at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s on firearms charges. Law enforcement described him as “a strong person of interest” in connection with the murder.