Comedian Sam Taunton left other presenters on The Project speechless after making a joke about the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was shot in the heart of New York.
The panel discussed the bizarre details of the December 4 murder case, after US police found the unknown gunman’s backpack in Central Park and discovered a wad of Monopoly money inside.
“Let’s hope there isn’t a ‘get out of jail free’ card in that backpack, because he might just go free,” Taunton joked.
The comment caused an awkward silence, followed by scattered laughter in the audience.
His co-hosts stood stone-faced as Hamish Macdonald inhaled sharply.
“That’s nice,” Steve Price finally replied.
“Thanks Pricey,” Taunton replied, before Sarah Harris tried to change the subject.
“Thanks for bringing it to us, Sammy,” she said diplomatically, quickly wrapping up the segment.
Project hosts tried to play off a joke by comedian Sam Taunton about Brian Thompson’s killer
Mr Taunton said he hoped the killer did not have a Get Out of Jail Free card after the discovery of Monopoly money in the gunman’s backpack.
The hosts had previously expressed their disgust at the public reaction to the brutal shooting outside the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
A post on UnitedHealthcare’s Facebook page after Mr Thompson’s death had attracted thousands of “laughing” comments, which Harris described as “a bit creepy”.
“Can it get any more bizarre than this?” Price responded.
‘People talk about how handsome the killer is. I suppose it goes back to the fact that it’s hard to get health insurance in the US.”
Police continue to scour New York for clues to the killer’s whereabouts.
Police found a backpack in Central Park containing a wad of Monopoly money. Some believe the killer intended to litter Mr. Thompson’s body.
Bullet casings with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were also left behind, possibly linked to common health care practices.
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in New York on December 4
Many have theorized that the suspect harbored a deep-seated hostility toward the organization.
One expert even suggested that the murder was not about “taking a life,” but that it was “about sending a message – a deeply distorted, deeply calculated message.”
Police believe the suspect spent about 10 days in a New York hostel while preparing the attack.
CCTV footage near the scene appeared to capture the gunman leaving for Central Park after the shooting.
The mayor of New York City previously promised to find the attacker.
“Let him continue to believe he can hide behind a mask,” Adams said.
“We’re going to reveal who he is, and we’re going to bring him to justice.”
The killer remains at large as US authorities intensify the manhunt to track him down
Thousands said they were glad the CEO had been killed and mocked the US’s widely criticized private healthcare system.
Democrat Congressman Dean Phillips condemned the online comments.
“It appears that leftists who are against killing terrorists in the Middle East are in favor of killing CEOs in Midtown Manhattan,” he said.