Bomb threat disrupts Patti LaBelle concert in Wisconsin – NBC Chicago

Patti LaBelle was abruptly rushed off stage for just a few songs in her Christmas concert in Milwaukee after a bomb threat forced authorities to evacuate the theater.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that video from the Riverside Theater on Saturday night shows what appears to be two security guards interrupting 78-year-old LaBelle as she chats with an audience member. They rush her off stage. Shortly after, someone announced that the nearly full 2,500 seat theater had to be evacuated due to a bomb threat.

Catherine Brunson, who documented the evacuation on Facebook Live, told the newspaper that the evacuation happened two songs into LaBelle’s concert around 9:24 p.m.

“We went out and the police had the block registered. … A lot of people were quite upset. … It’s scary,” Brunson said.

Scott Pierce, who also attended the gig, said everyone calmly walked out of the theater, but it’s “just sad that someone is doing this”.

Milwaukee Police Capt. Warren Allen Jr. said in a statement on Sunday that K9 units searched the theater and no explosive devices were found, so there was no threat to the public. .

As of Sunday morning, LaBelle had not released a statement about the evacuation on social media. Riverside Theater operator Pabst Theater Group said it will work with LaBelle to reschedule the show in the future.