Nick Jonas bolted off stage during a Jonas Brothers concert in Prague on Tuesday night after a laser pointer was aimed at his head, causing the show to be stopped for several minutes.
Footage of the incident circulated afterward on social media showing a frightened Jonas running backstage while frantically flashing a “time out” sign with his hands.
A representative for Prague’s O2 Arena confirmed in a statement to Variety on Wednesday that the concert had been delayed and noted that laser pointers are prohibited at the venue.
“We can confirm that the Jonas Brothers’ performance had to be interrupted for several minutes due to the use of a prohibited laser pointer by the person,” the spokesperson said. “The organizing service responded to this fact. After a few minutes, the band continued their performance.”
Concertgoers have exhibited increasingly aggressive behavior toward performers after a pandemic-era lull in performances.
Artists like Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo and more have been hit by items that fans have thrown at them at shows. Pop singer Bebe Rexha even sustained a black eye after someone lobbed a cell phone at her last year.
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Crowded concert venues have also become the targets of planned violence.
In August, several of Taylor Swift’s shows in Vienna were canceled when authorities discovered threats of a terrorist attack at the venue. A 19-year-old man with links to ISIS was subsequently arrested for the reported plot, which officials said was intended to kill “tens of thousands.”
The Jonas Brothers will perform again on Wednesday in Krakow, Poland, wrapping up the European leg of their “Five Albums, One Night” tour.