Security increased at the Rockefeller tree lighting after the assassination of Brian Thompson

Security was tight for the lighting of the historic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center Wednesday evening, hours after a masked gunman shot and killed a UnitedHealthcare executive outside a midtown Manhattan hotel.

Department Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey said there will be an “extraordinary” police presence, including additional officers on the subway.

“This event is bad, but people will continue to enjoy the tree lighting tonight,” he said.

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UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed near the Hilton Hotel on Wednesday morning.

This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group)

In an interesting video obtained by Fox News Digital, Thompson can be seen walking on the side of a New York City street when a masked man wearing a black jacket with a hat and backpack shoots and kills Thompson before fleeing the scene on a bicycle, disappearing in Central Park.

The suspect was still at large as of Thursday morning.

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The violence didn’t stop crowds from attending the annual New York City ritual later in the evening. Fifty thousand different colored lights illuminated the symbolic tree to the delight of the gathered crowds.

A New York police officer stands guard at Rockefeller Center before the start of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

The Norwegian giant, this year from a small town in Massachusetts, also has a Swarovski star crown with 3 million crystals.

The 74-foot-tall tree was cut down last month in West Stockbridge and trucked to Rockefeller Plaza. Wednesday night’s ceremony marked the end of the tree’s long journey to New York, which began in 2020 when the center’s garden manager spotted the tree and asked its owners if they would consider donating it.

A pedestrian stops for a safety check on 51st Street as he approaches Rockefeller Center for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

The popular holiday attraction, located above the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink, will be on display in mid-January. On Christmas Day, the tree will be lit for 24 hours.

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Once the holiday season is over, the tree will be used to cut down Habitat for Humanity.

Greg Wehner of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.