A bomb scare at Oakland's Coliseum complex last night disrupted the schedule of a Hans Zimmer concert and resulted in substantial distress among attendees and significant traffic disruption, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The Oakland Police Department (OPD) received two separate calls about a potential bomb on the 7000 block of Coliseum Way at around 7 p.m., which prompted a lockdown of Oakland Arena just as fans were arriving for the concert, according to a Facebook post from the Oakland Police Department.
As per the San Francisco Chronicle, concertgoers described being prevented from entering the venue, and those inside reported that exits were closed off. As officers and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) conducted exhaustive sweeps, the situation outside grew more chaotic, with some attendees opting to leave their vehicles and go on foot to the arena. Alana MacDonald and Alexandra McVeigh, Oakland residents caught up in the confusion, voiced their frustration after being held at bay since 7:30 p.m., with officials merely citing "safety concern" as the issue and giving vague assurances about the gates reopening "as soon as possible."
No explosives were detected following the search, and by 9:30 p.m., concert organizers had reopened the parking lots and allowed the evening's performance to proceed. Renowned for his film scores, Hans Zimmer apologized for the inconvenience and modified the night's performance, extending the show so that attendees could still catch public transportation home. "I apologize for starting this late," Zimmer said during the event, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
