Last month, a gunman in a Lafayette, Louisiana movie theater killed two woman and injured nine others before taking his own life. The suspect behind yet another movie theater shooting was declared dead after opening fire on a police officer last week in Nashville, Tennessee. The latest attack began with a showering of pepper spray. Police said they responded to reports of a man carrying two backpacks and a hatchet. Three people had to be treated for the spray. One person was also treated for an injury believed to have been caused by the hatchet. The injuries were minor and no one was hospitalized.
In the wake of these movie theater shootings in less than two weeks and the trial of the Aurora, Colorado theater shooter, theater safety is back in the national spotlight. A new study has been done on the topic of movie theater security. The results of the study by Beverly Hills-based C4 Research and Development showed that about three quarters of movie goers say they still feel safe in a theater. The other quarter felt bags and purses should be checked for weapons before patrons enter the theater. Thirty-four percent felt theater patrons should have to go through a metal detector, and that there should be armed guards present in theater lobbies, but only 13% said they would be willing to pay $3 more for extra security. The survey was conducted on July 28 and 29; there were 250 participants.
Do you personally feel safe going to the movie theater or have these incidents made you think twice? Would visible security changes make you feel safer? What would you think about being greet by a metal detector or bag search (remember, that back of M&Ms or Milk Duds you are hiding)? Should these shootings lead the government to take further steps when it comes to gun control?
Whether we think this is an issue of theater security, gun control, or both, one thing is for sure – going to the movies will never be the same, just like flying or running a marathon.
Mark Bello is the CEO and General Counsel of Lawsuit Financial Corporation, a pro-justice lawsuit funding company.
