Police identify person of interest in shooting threat at 'Surviving R. Kelly' screening

8 December 11, 2018 | by Maria Varela

The latest clue to the suspect involved in the shooting threat at the "Surviving R. Kelly" screening has been revealed and seems to suggest ties with Kelly himself.

A new development has emerged in relation to the shooting threat that disrupted the screening of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” last week. Police have identified the location from which the person of interest made the threatening call.

A HALTED SCREENING

On Tuesday, the audience at the NeueHouse in New York was evacuated 20 minutes into screening the controversial Lifetime docuseries after an unidentified man called in a threat. He claimed there was a gunman in the theater who was going to open fire if the screening went on.

A CURIOUS CLUE ABOUT THE CALLER

As of December 8, investigators have revealed the call came from a 773 area code in Chicago, interestingly the hometown of R. Kelly. The identity of the caller was not disclosed and no clear connection has been made to the singer.

THE CONTROVERSIAL DOCUMENTARY

“Surviving R. Kelly” centers around the alleged sexual abuses and legal troubles that hounded the singer over the years. It includes interviews with his associates and women who claimed to be his victims. Among the accusations against him were cases of physical and sexual abuse of multiple women and grooming them to be part of a sex cult. Some of the women who spoke on the film were at the screening and were going to participate in a Q&A after.

LINKING THE THREAT TO KELLY

Among the women victims who were present at the screening was Kelly’s ex-wife, Andrea Kelly who believes her former spouse was somehow involved in the shooting threat. She told Variety,

“I can’t speak to what he would or would not do because I don’t know what his mindset is right now. But I would say that I don’t believe in happenstance, I don’t believe that anything is a coincidence. I do believe that in some shape, form or fashion it is connected to him.”

She continues,

“Now, whether he orchestrated it or not, that I cannot say. But I just do not believe in coincidences. Of all the theaters, of all the nights, of all the premiers, it happened with us.”

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Regardless, Andrea is convinced the film is on the “right track” and the threat just drew more attention to it and what it stands for.

“We’re causing people to listen. We’re getting people’s attention and we’re getting attention from the one who thought that he was invincible and untouchable. And that also applies to the people that work for him and the people that are around him.”

ANDREA OPENS UP ABOUT HER TROUBLED MARRIAGE TO KELLY

Andrea was married to the troubled singer from 1996 to 2009. Towards the end of their marriage, she came to the realization that she was a victim of domestic violence so she left him. Among the abuses, she recalled almost being killed in the back seat of a Hummer.

A CAREER ON INDEFINITE HOLD

R. Kelly’s career was greatly affected by the allegations against him. Streaming sites like Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora have banned his music as of May this year. The “Time’s Up Women of Color” movement also encouraged a boycott of anything related to him.