During a concert on Sunday night at Marist College, a bomb threat was reported, sending concertgoers into a frenzy as they tried to evacuate the building.
The choral performance took place at the Culinary Institute of America. In the middle of the show, a woman reported a man went to the front of the stage and dropped off a backpack, according to the Hudson Valley Post. Security then started yelling and told the crowd to evacuate immediately. One concertgoer told the Post that there was a “mad dash” toward the exit.
While a security spokesperson from the Culinary Institute confirmed there was an “incident” at the venue, he did not clarify if there was a bomb threat, as the police were investigating the situation. Late last night, the Post reported that Hyde Park Police confirmed the arrest of Kevin A. Asiedu from the Bronx for making a terrorist threat, which is a felony. He was also charged for the misdemeanor of criminal nuisance and received a violation for disorderly conduct.
In a report obtained by the Post, the police note that Asiedu was carrying a backpack when he walked into the venue and sat down. Then, after a short period of time, he got up and left the backpack on the seat and exited the row. He stood in the aisle facing the stage and when he was approached by security and was asked to sit down, he refused to answer questions, which led to chaos as people fled the scene, fearing for their lives.
Eventually, he told police that he intended to cause a scare, but the backpack was searched, and it contained nothing but paper. No injuries were reported and Asiedu remained in the Dutchess County Jail on $1,000 cash or $2,000 bail bond.
Unfortunately, scares like this are not anything new. Over the past few years, there has been a significant amount of gun violence at shows, even some leaving fans or artists injured. Back in 2015, assailants killed 89 people at an Eagles of Death Metal show in Paris, a crazed fan ended the life of singer Christina Grimmie outside of a venue in Orlando, and an Ariana Grande show in England ended with a suicide bomber sending the crowd into chaos in 2017. The violence continued with the deadlist mass shooting in history at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas.
Amid the real gun violence, there have been various gun scares at concerts and Broadway shows, leaving fans uneasy at bigger events. The Global Citizen Festival in New York last fall left fans panicking when some believed they heard gunshots, a Kevin Gates show was cut short earlier this year after shots were reportedly heard inside the venue, and a showing of Hamilton was shut down when fans mistook fake gunshots for real ones, sending theatregoers running out the door.
