The shooting, which police believe was targeted, occurred around 6:45 a.m.
ET on the sidewalk in front of the Midtown Hilton Hotel, just about five blocks from Rockefeller Center.
The shooting, said NYPD police chief Jeffrey Maddrey, will not affect the tree lighting.
Security barriers and fencing in place at the 2024 Rockefeller Center treeBryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
Thompson died of his injuries at Mount Sinai West Hospital a half-hour after the shooting.
The shooter reportedly escaped on foot before getting on an e-bike and entering Central Park.
The shooter had not been apprehended by mid-afternoon.
