Patti LaBelle Rushed Off Milwaukee Concert Stage Over Apparent Bomb Threat Mid-Show
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Patti LaBelle was rushed offstage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Saturday night over an apparent bomb threat.
The singer, 78, was ushered away mid-performance during her gig at the Riverside Theater, when three men in all black had her drop a bouquet of flowers to quickly exit the venue, with her band following after. "Hold up," LaBelle could be heard saying in a clip shared online, before being escorted backstage.
As event organizer Pabst Theater Group later explained on social media, LaBelle's cancellation was the result of a bomb threat. The organizer said it is now "working with the artist to reschedule the show."
Paul Morigi/Getty for AIDS Healthcare Foundation
"Tonight's [LaBelle] show at the Riverside Theater has been postponed following a bomb threat investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department," the organizer tweeted early Sunday morning. "We are thankful for the efforts of the Milwaukee Police Department and our customers and staff for their safe and orderly exit."
The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), as well as a rep for LaBelle, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Fox 6
Journal Sentinel reporter Drake Bentley shared a message from MPD on Twitter shortly after the concert Saturday night, which explained that "all patrons" had been safely evacuated from the venue. "Police are clearing the facility at this time," the message continued. "The investigation is fluid and ongoing."
According to Milwaukee Police Capt. Warren E. Allen Jr., per the Journal Sentinel, the Riverside Theater "was searched by K9 units" and "no explosive devices were discovered."
"There is no threat to the public at this time," he added to the publication.
Adrienne Crossley, a journalist who attended the show with family, tweeted her first-hand account of events after the venue got evacuated.
"Now that I'm safely at home... A bomb threat at a Patti LaBelle concert, really," Crossley wrote. "I was having a lovely night with my parents, getting to cross seeing Ms. Patti off my bucket list, and then it all went left. This is just sad."
Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Additionally, concertgoer Catherine Brunson told the Journal Sentinel that the event ended barely two songs into LaBelle's set, just before 9:30 p.m local time, when she said the venue was at its capacity of 2,500 people.
"Somebody got on a microphone and said we have to evacuate the building because there was a bomb threat," Brunson said. "We came out and police had the block taped off. ... A whole lot of people were pretty upset. ... It's scary."
