Chicago police officers, including at least one armed with a rifle, responded to a false report of an active shooter at the United Center, cutting short a concert by rapper Lil Durk Saturday evening.
Durk was nearing the end of his set when concertgoers began running for exits, according to videos posted to social media.
One video showed a CPD officer arriving on scene with a rifle, while other videos showed people fighting in the stands.
In a statement, police said the “incident was not bona fide. There was no active shooter.”
Police did not release any other details of the incident or their response.
As people left, some stole merchandise from an unmanned table, some videos showed.
After the show, Durk posted to social media: “Don’t believe the hype we bigger then big thank you Chicago. Who all stole the merchandise tag me so I can report y’all crazy a– .”
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The United Center was working with authorities to investigate the incidents at the show, the venue said in a statement Sunday.
“It became apparent for all involved that ending the show early was in everyone’s best interest as the safety of our guests and employees is a priority,” the United Center said in its statement. “We are thankful that initial incident reports were false and that guests exited the facility safely.”
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Durk’s representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Durk, 30, had reportedly canceled most of his tour’s shows following a medical episode in July, except for shows Friday and Saturday at the United Center. He performed solo on Friday and on Saturday was part of the WGCI Summer Jam.
Durk, whose given name is Durk Derrick Banks, is the Chicago-born founder of the music label Only the Family, which has featured other Chicago drill artists, including the late King Von.
