Patti LaBelle was rushed off the stage at her Milwaukee concert on Saturday evening due to a bomb threat, forcing the audience to evacuate the venue.
Social media videos from the scene show the iconic singer, 78, engaging with fans at the Riverside Theater shortly after the concert began. Soon, security arrived and moved her away from the stage. Dressed in head-to-toe red and flaunting platinum hair, the “On My Own” singer yelled out “Wait!” as she attempted to receive flowers from fans, not understanding why she was being swept away. Soon realizing the severity of the situation, LaBelle was soon escorted offstage by two men.
Another attendee live-streamed the evacuation on Facebook Live from the scene, which showed concert attendees climbing the theater’s stairs to leave in an orderly fashion.
“They came and got Patti offstage so fast, y’all, so we have to evacuate so they can check the building,” concert-goer Catherine Brunson can be heard saying in her video, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. “It would have to be Milwaukee.”
Fellow attendees can be heard yelling “this is so messed up!” as the fans left the scene. Outside, yellow police tape could be seen surrounding the area.
The Milwaukee Police said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the building was “safely evacuated.” Later that evening, Milwaukee Police Capt. Warren E. Allen Jr. followed up by saying that no bombs were detected on-site.
“The building was searched by K9 units. No explosive devices were discovered,” Allen Jr. told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “There is no threat to the public at this time.”
Following the evacuation and cancellation of the event, organizers from the Riverside Theater went into further detail regarding the incident.
“Tonight’s Patti LaBelle show at the Riverside Theater has been postponed following a bomb threat investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department. We are thankful for the efforts of the Milwaukee Police Department and our customers and staff for their safe and orderly exit,” organizers wrote on their Facebook page. “We are working with the artist to reschedule the show.”
As of Sunday, LaBelle has not commented publicly regarding the threat on her social media pages. Yahoo Entertainment reached out to representatives for LaBelle regarding the incident but did not receive a comment at the time of publication.
