A white, powdery substance that prompted the evacuation of New York's Metropolitan Opera House on Saturday may have been human ashes, police said.
According to WNBC, the powder was found sprinkled in the orchestra pit. Officials canceled the scheduled performances of "Guillame Tell" and "L'Italiana in Algieri" because of the disturbance.
The Associated Press reported that some members of the audience said a man had come to the opera to sprinkle the ashes of his mentor. Authorities are trying to contact the man, said John Miller of the New York Police Department.
"I don't believe at this point that we see any criminal intent here," Miller said.
Peter Gelb, general manager of the Met, had some words of advice for opera lovers.
"We appreciate opera lovers coming to the Met," he said. "We hope that they will not bring their ashes with them."
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