Police say Michael Hunt, 43, had a knife when apprehended near where singer was performing

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Police in the US have arrested a man in Florida, who they suspect threatened to kidnap the singer Lana Del Rey.

Michael Hunt was allegedly carrying a knife when he was apprehended by police near the Amway Center in the downtown area of Orlando where the singer had been due to perform.

Hunt, 43, was reported to have made “cryptic and threatening” posts on social media and was arrested on Friday. The arrest was only made public on Saturday.

Police said they had received a tipoff about the kidnapping threat to the 32-year-old singer, whose real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant.

“When he was taken into custody, Hunt was in possession of tickets to the Lana Del Rey performance and a knife,” the Orlando police department said in a statement on Twitter. They added that Hunt did not make contact with the singer.

Hunt faces charges of aggravated stalking with a credible threat, and attempted kidnapping with a weapon and was being held at the Orange County jail.

Police said that, without the tipoff, “authorities might have been unaware” of the threat posed. A police spokesman said: “On Friday, Orlando Police Department determined this was a credible threat and worked swiftly to ensure the safety of everyone involved and of everyone who attended the show.

“We rely on the community to call in anything suspicious. If it weren’t for that tip, authorities might have been unaware of the threat posed.”

Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) OPD Media release on arrest of Michael Hunt, 43, who stalked, made threats against singer Lana Del Rey.



Working off a tip,OPD Officers were able to stop Hunt, who was armed with a knife, before he could get to the Amway Center. pic.twitter.com/mOsfGEwJIO

Del Rey, who is known for songs such as Young and Beautiful and Video Games, spoke about her performance in Orlando on Friday on Twitter.

Posting a video clip of her show, she said: “Thank you so much for coming out and making those shows totally crazy and keeping the energy high.”



She added that she was “feeling super lucky after a couple of days of amazing shows” and that she was “grateful”.

In 2016, 19-year-old Zachary Self was sentenced to nearly three months in prison after breaking into Del Rey’s home. Self stalked the singer on social media, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.