Texas police officers have arrested a man in connection to a suspected bomb threat that prompted The Roots to cancel their South by Southwest (SXSW) festival performance over the weekend (17-18Mar18).
The Roots & Friends Jam was scheduled to take place on Saturday (17Mar18) at Fair Market in Austin, as part of the annual arts and culture festival. Other artists including Ludacris, Jessie Reyez, and Rapsody were also set to perform at the event, which was scrapped after organisers became aware of a "security concern".
The group's drummer Questlove cited "a severe emergency" in a series of tweets about the cancellation.
"Tonight's show has been cancelled. They'll make official announcement but I'd rather save y'all the trouble of waiting in line," he addressed fans waiting to get into the venue hosting the gig.
The Roots leader has since deleted the posts.
Trevor Weldon Ingram, 26, has been taken into custody on third-degree felony charges of making a terroristic threat, according to Variety.
Meanwhile, Austin Police Department officials previously confirmed on Twitter that the gig was scrapped after they were notified of a bomb threat by a concert organiser.
A spokesman for beer company Bud Light, who sponsored the event, said organisers were forced to scrap the gig in an effort to keep fans and members of staff safe.
"After working proactively with SXSW, the Austin Police Department, and other authorities, Bud Light believes this is the best course of action to ensure the safety of our guests, staff, and artists, and appreciate your understanding. We are truly sorry to have to cancel the event, but we felt it was necessary to take all safety precautions," they said.
