Suspect in Lady Gaga concert bombing plot wanted to kill a child for 'satanist ritual'—police
One of the suspects in the bombing plot of Lady Gaga's record-breaking concert in Brazil reportedly had a sinister motive behind the plan.
In case you missed it, the singer recently rocked Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach with a free mega-concert that drew about two million fans. During the event, Brazilian police said they had arrested two people who were attempting a bomb attack on the crowd.
In a report by CNN, one of the suspects allegedly wanted to carry out a "satanist ritual by killing a child or a baby" during the concert.
The New York Post identified the suspect as a 44-year-old man named Luis da Silva.
"He said that the singer was a Satanist and that he was going to perform a Satanist ritual too, killing a child during the show," Rio de Janeiro Civil Police secretary officer Felipe Curi told reporters.
Authorities have also taken into custody a 17-year-old boy who was supposedly da Silva's accomplice.
The pair had been using Discord to recruit other people in their heinous plot to target not only children, but also members of the LGBTQ+ community, which comprised a significant number of Gaga's fanbase.
"They planned to use Molotov cocktails and explosive backpacks," the police report stated.
The police added that the group "spread hate speech," radicalized youths, and used self-harm on digital platforms as mechanisms to develop social belonging.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Gaga's team addressed the bomb threat and shared that they only learned about it through "media reports."
"Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks," her spokesperson said.
"Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place," they added.
Rio officials had expected a turnout for the Gaga show of around 1.6 million people, but City Hall said later that 2.1 million had attended. The crowd was about half a million people more than was estimated to have attended a Madonna concert at the same venue last year, making her the most-attended free show by any female performer in history.
