NEW YORK (WABC) — The New York City night sky gleamed in bright, mesmerizing colors for the spectacular Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks show on Tuesday night.
More than 60,000 shells exploded during the dazzling display over the East River for this year’s “pyrotechnic salute to America.”
The festivities began with live music at sundown followed by the 25-minute fireworks show synchronized to a spectacular score.
Video in the media player above is from a previous report
This year’s celebration honored trailblazers, including a moment that featured “The Best” by the late Tina Turner as thousands of golden-hued shells created a dramatic cascade effect stretching for more than a mile across the East River.
Other songs included stunning renditions of American classics like ‘My Girl’ and ‘Get Ready’ by The Temptations, ‘Stop! In the Name of Love’ by The Supremes and ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.’
The show was capped off, appropriately, with a rendition of ‘New York, New York.’
RELATED: More fireworks celebrations happening in New York City and the Tri-State area
The evening went off without a hitch, thanks in part to the diligent efforts of the NYPD.
Ahead of the fireworks show, Eddie Caban invited Eyewitness News reporter Josh Einiger to join him for his first helicopter ride as the NYPD’s new interim police commissioner.
Together they surveyed security preparations while flying over the East River.
“It’s amazing when you’re up here,” Caban said. “We’re sitting here, get to see the greatest show on earth.”
Keeping things safe Tuesday night was a massive undertaking, with everything from airborne radiation sensors to ground-based explosive detection, but Caban said the department hasn’t taken it eye off the rest of the city, where gun crime is still a concern
On any given normal day, the NYPD has one helicopter in the sky circling the city ready to respond to anything that might happen. On Tuesday night, they had six, and they weren’t just focusing on the East River. They fanned out over all five boroughs, and were ready to respond with an eye in the sky on anything that could happen.
“In my role as acting police commissioner, right now public safety is a shared responsibility,” Caban said. “If you see something say something, if something doesn’t look right tell a uniformed officer or call 911.”
Independence Day celebrations, including the fireworks in New York City, are “attractive targets for attacks,” but there was no known threat, according to an NYPD assessment obtained by ABC News.
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