It is possible that he had nothing to do with it and they are fearful of his safety because of the news coverage and the fact that he was identified. This would especially be true if he is a Saudi royal.
While I am reserving judgment on this, I will agree with you that it seems strange. The rumors, theories, and false information that flies around after events like this are difficult to keep up with and I don’t try real hard. By the time most facts are established the media has moved onto the next shiny object and nobody reads page A13.