Michelle Obama was rushed from the New York City Foxwoods Theatre while watching “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” with her daughters Malia and Sasha after a potential bomb threat materialized. While in NYC to view the Broadway show yesterday a fellow patron “joked” to officers that his luggage might “blow up,”according to The New York Daily News. The Fist Lady’s Secret Service detail inspected the bags and interviewed the theatergoer, but did not arrest the man.
Local law enforcement officers identified the man joking about a bomb exploding while in the vicinity of Michelle Obama and her daughters as Ross Mandell, 43, of Charlotte, North Carolina. Mandell was reportedly on a business trip in New York City and also decided to catch the afternoon matinee of “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark.” The First Lady’s Secret Service guards and NYC police officers were apparently satisfied that Mandell was not aware that Michelle Obama and her daughters were also in the theater at the same time, The New York Post reports. The ‘luggage may blow up’ comments were uttered when Mandell and other ticket holders “were asked” to check their bags at the Foxwoods Theatre entrance.
“Yeah, I’ll check my bags, but if the show is bad, they’ll blow up,” is reportedly what Mandell stated, according to comment by a police source who spoke with The New York Daily News. “It was a stupid thing to say to any cops, but particularly in this case.”
A bomb squad was sent in to inspect Mandell’s bags but did not find anything suspicious. The “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” matinee was allowed to continue, but without Michelle Obama and her girls in attendance. The First Lady and her daughters had already been “hustled” into a vehicle and whisked away. Michelle Obama was in New York City to speak at a Westchester Obama campaign event, where she stated, “it’s all on the line” when pushing for support for a Barack Obama second term.
