Lady Gaga concert bomb plot targeted LGBTQ+ community; 2 arrested
What's the story
Brazilian Police successfully foiled a planned bomb attack on a free Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro.
The incident, which was meant to target "children, adolescents, and the LGBTQIA+ community," was thwarted with the arrest of two suspects during raids in different states.
The concert at Copacabana Beach on Saturday night drew over two million attendees, making it the biggest show of Lady Gaga's career.
Recruitment details
Intelligence alerted authorities; attack organizers sought participants online
The Justice Ministry's Cyber Operations Lab received a tip-off from Rio State Police Intelligence, following which cops found that the alleged attack organizers were recruiting participants, including minors, online.
They planned to use "improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails" for the bombing.
They aimed to frame the attack as a "collective challenge" and gain notoriety on social media.
Among those arrested was the suspected leader of the group (for illegal possession of a firearm) and a teenager (for storing child pornography).
Investigation progress
Authorities conducted extensive searches and seizures
Authorities executed 15 search and seizure warrants against nine "targets" in multiple cities. They confiscated "electronic devices and other materials" in the course of the operations.
A representative for Lady Gaga told the media that the pop star's team first learned about the alleged threat through media reports on Sunday morning.
However, there were no known safety concerns or communication from police or authorities to Lady Gaga before or during the show.
Artist's response
Gaga expressed gratitude post-concert
After the concert, Lady Gaga took to Instagram to express her gratitude. Calling the show a "historical moment," she thanked her fans, saying, "Thank you Rio for waiting for me to come back. Thank you little monsters all over the world."
"I love you. I will never forget this moment."
There was no mention of the foiled bomb attack.
Notably, last year, another free concert at Copacabana Beach by Madonna drew an estimated 1.6 million attendees.