As the investigation into the murder of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, with the arrest of 26-year-old suspect Luigi Mangione just breaking earlier this week, the rhetoric over the murder continues to be charged. “Saturday Night Live” decided to jump into the fray when the murder was discussed on the show’s “Weekend Update” segment, featuring Colin Jost and Michael Che. “This week, New York City officials sent 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 out of here, mister,’” joked Jost during the episode, which aired December 7 before Mangione had been named as a suspect.

He later added that, “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 also took a jab at the NYPD, saying, “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.” Che joined in with a joke about a smiling picture of the suspect apparently flirting with a female employee of a hostel.

The jokes were received with mixed reactions. While some defended the jokes, others on social media pushed back against the segment. “I am not a suing person but this instance I hope @nbcsnl gets sued by the #BrianThompson Family and take everything they got,” wrote one user on X. “Disgusting. I couldn’t watch this segment. The victim’s family and friends are very much grieving right now,” wrote one commentor on YouTube. Another called the segment “Classless.”

Many have taken to social media, grieved by past denials from United HealthCare, to apparently support the murder. “You’re probably rich and never been denied coverage if you don’t feel some kind of sense of karma,” wrote one user on X. Piers Morgan slammed former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz for a post she made that seemingly supported the killing. Prior to appearing on Morgan’s show, Lorenz had posted, “And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” while sharing a story about Blue Cross Blue Shield no longer covering anesthesia.

When asked about her response, Lorenz appeared to state she felt “joy” over Thompson’s death. “I do believe in the sanctity of life, and I think that’s why I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy, unfortunately. Maybe not joy but certainly not empathy,” she said. “How could this make you joyful? This guy is a husband, he’s a father, and he’s been gunned down in the middle of Manhattan. Why does that make you joyful?” asked a disbelieving Morgan. Lorenz justified her comment by accusing Thompson of murder. “So are the tens of thousands of Americans that he murdered! So are the tens of thousands of Americans, innocent Americans, who died because greedy health insurance executives like this one push a policy of denying care to the most vulnerable people, and I am a part of the many millions of Americans that have watched people that I care about suffer and in some cases die because of lack of healthcare.” She stated, however, that not every healthcare executive deserved to be killed. “You seem to find the whole thing hilarious. A bloke’s been murdered in the street. I don’t find it funny at all,” responded Morgan. It is being reported that Vox Media has now cut ties with Lorenz. The investigation into Thompson’s murder is ongoing.