Ella Langley called off her concert at the BOK Center on Friday, October 9th, hours into the event day and shortly before showtime, citing what she described as a serious security threat. Consequence reported the news, and noted that it is still developing.
In a statement posted to social media, Langley said the threat involved the safety of her fans, the venue staff and her team. She said the decision came on the advice of local authorities, the venue and her own security team.
What police said
According to Oklahoma's News 9, police received a bomb threat call. Officers and K-9 units then swept the building and found no sign of a danger. Even so, Langley and the arena opted to cancel.
Police Captain Richard G. Meulenberg IV told Deadline that his department took a call from someone saying people at the event would be seriously harmed. He said officers returned to the arena out of extra caution, brought in bomb dogs a second time and searched the whole area without finding a credible threat.
The sources differ slightly in how they frame the call: News 9 described it as a bomb threat, while the captain's remarks to Deadline, as relayed by Consequence, spoke of a threat of great harm to people at the event.
Langley's message to fans
Langley apologized to ticket holders, acknowledging the time, travel, money and planning that go into attending a show. She said the call to cancel was not made lightly and that she had been looking forward to the night.
"I refuse to put anyone in harm's way," she said, according to Consequence.
Why it matters
The episode shows how little room artists and venues now leave for doubt. Even after police found nothing, the people responsible for the show judged that an unverified threat was enough to clear the building. The sources do not say whether the concert will be rescheduled or how ticket holders will be handled, and we will update this report if more detail emerges.
Reporting sources: Consequence, “Ella Langley Cancels Tulsa Concert Following Bomb Threat: Report”.