Just a few blocks away, just a few blocks away, a masked man shot and killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO outside a midtown Manhattan hotel, leading up to the annual lighting of Rockefeller Center's iconic Christmas tree Wednesday night. Security was strengthened.
Chief Jeffrey B. Madley said there will be a “heavy presence” of police, including additional officers on the subway.
Split image of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer and Rockefeller's Christmas tree. (AP image)
“It's a terrible event, but people will still be out tonight enjoying the tree lighting,” he said.
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UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot to death at close range outside the Hilton Hotel on Wednesday morning.
This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/United Health Group)
Chilling footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows a masked man wearing a black hooded jacket and backpack fatally shooting Thompson as he walks on a New York City sidewalk, then fleeing the scene on a bicycle. and disappeared into Central Park.
The suspect is still massive As of Thursday morning.
Who is UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson?
The violence did not stop crowds from participating in New York City's annual tradition later in the evening. 50,000 multicolored lights illuminated the iconic tree, drawing cheers from the assembled crowd.
New York police officers stand guard at Rockefeller Center before the start of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nickinson)
This year, a giant Norway spruce from a small town in Massachusetts is crowned with a Swarovski star crown set with 3 million crystals.
The 74-foot tree was cut down in West Stockbridge last month and trucked to Rockefeller Plaza. Wednesday night's ceremony was the culmination of the tree's long journey to New York. The journey began in 2020 when the center's head gardener discovered the tree and asked the owner if he would consider donating it.
Pedestrians stop for a security check on 51st Street as they arrive at Rockefeller Center for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Nickinson)
Located above the Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink, this famous holiday attraction can be seen until mid-January. The tree will be lit 24 hours a day on Christmas Day.
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Once the holiday season is over, the tree will be used as wood for human habitat.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
