Texas Bans Guns, Increases Security at State Fair

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(TNS) – The State Fair of Texas is ramping up security measures a year after a shooting left three wounded at the park.

The event, which is expected to attract over 2 million fairgoers from Sept. 27 to Oct. 20 at Dallas’ Fair Park, will still use the weapon detection system it introduced last year. But this year, licensed gun holders will not be allowed to bring a firearm into the park.

A curfew will return for those 17 and under. After 5 p.m., minors must enter the fair with an adult 21 years old or older.

Other changes to fair security include a bag size policy, a redesigned entry and a 24-hour security command center.

Here are new, returning and updated security measures to know before the fair begins.

No guns allowed

The fair historically didn’t allow anyone to bring weapons onto the grounds with the exception of people with a valid handgun license, provided the gun was concealed. This year, not even licensed gun owners can carry a weapon, fair officials announced at a news conference Thursday.

“We accept people’s rights ,and we are in support of those,” fair official Karissa Condoianis said at the news conference. “This is just a measure to create a further family-friendly atmosphere.”

Only current police officers and qualified retired officers can carry firearms at the fair in accordance with state law, officials said, and credentials will be verified by police in the screening process.

Last year, three people were wounded in an Oct. 14 shooting at the fair. Officials said the suspect didn’t have a valid license to carry a gun.

The fair hadn’t had a shooting since 1988. Condoianis recalled that night as “traumatizing and stressful.”

“We have been working tirelessly since that night to ensure that we are doing everything in our power for it to not happen again,” Condoianis said.

What security to expect at the entrance

The fair will continue to use an open gate system for weapon detection. The fair used the system for the first time last year. The technology, which is provided by the weapon detection company GXC, detects dense metal like knives or guns as people walk past. It doesn’t require guests to empty their pockets or take off their bags.

It’s still unknown how last year’s gunman got a firearm past the open gate system, officials said.

“We unfortunately may never know how he got the gun inside,” Condoianis said. “After the investigation was completed, that has not been determined.”

One of the people injured in last year’s shooting — Andrea Liliana Araujo, who was working with a cleaning crew at the fair — is suing shooting suspect Cameron Turner, GXC and Andy Frain Services, another company involved in the fair’s security.

The suit by Araujo and her husband, Pedro Ortega, alleges the companies failed to enforce policies and procedures and were negligent in their hiring and supervision. It alleges Turner passed directly through security with a semi-automatic pistol, according to the couple’s attorney.

The filing said that security guard company Andy Frain Services had no video surveillance at the fair’s entrance and may have failed to stop Turner when it knew he had a weapon. It alleges that GXC Inc. may have failed to detect the gun and alert personnel.

“It has not been determined at all that that weapon passed through our detectors,” GXC CEO Genaro Cavazos said at a news conference. “[If] somebody walks a weapon through it, I have the utmost confidence that it’s going to detect it.”

This year, the fair will have redesigned entrances with more information on what items and behavior are allowed in the park and stating what items are subject to search.

Fair officials said entry will have a switchback queuing system, or a zig-zagged line, to ensure everyone passes through the weapon detection system in lanes. Andy Frain Services will staff security at the entry gates again this year and will perform bag checks, fair officials said.

Security screening will be recorded to make sure security staff follow best practices, said Jeff Cotner, the fair’s security director. Entry gates will have increased camera surveillance, Condoianis said.

New bag policy

The fair won’t require clear bags except during games in Cotton Bowl Stadium. However, it will require bags and soft-shell coolers to be 9 inches by 10 inches by 12 inches or smaller. Exceptions will be made for medical and parenting bags, which will be searched at all gates, fair officials said.

All allowed bags are subject to search, fair officials said.

Security presence on the fairgrounds

The fair is adding a 24-hour command center as a hub for communications. The center will be headquarters for event oversight, incident notification, tracking and resolution, according to a statement from fair officials. This will allow officers to monitor the fairgrounds at all times, Condoianis said.

The fair partners with many agencies to build its security presence, including the Dallas Police Department, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Dallas Area Rapid Transit police, Dallas Independent School District police, the Department of Homeland Security, the city of Dallas’ Office of Emergency Management and private security companies like GXC.

While officials didn’t disclose how many officers will staff the fair this year, Condoianis confirmed both uniformed and nonuniformed officers, as well as other public and private safety professionals will be on the fairgrounds.

DART will have extra staff for peak fair days, DART police Chief Charles Cato said.

Dallas Assistant Police Chief Teena Schultz encourages fairgoers to take a photo of their children before entering the fairgrounds to help identify them in case they get lost. Discuss a meeting spot ahead of time in case your group gets separated, Schultz said.

Dallas Fire-Rescue will have two mini emergency rooms with medics and nurses set up on the fairgrounds, fair officials said.

“We can basically do everything there that we can do in an emergency room,” Dallas Fire-Rescue Capt. Greg Courson said. “We try to treat patients there so that they can go ahead and come back and enjoy the fair the same day.”

‘The Most Texan Place on Earth’

Amber Fletcher is the third-generation co-owner of Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs and has attended the fair for 37 years.

“I have never felt unsafe,” Fletcher said. “I know that with the incident last year that they will be … going above and beyond what needs to be done to ensure the safety of the fair.”

Fletcher recalled last year’s shooting. She said they closed early and were escorted out by police. The next day, there were still lines of people waiting to get in.

“I don’t think it stopped anyone from wanting to come, and I certainly hope it doesn’t,” Fletcher said. “I feel the fair is very safe.”

This year, things are business as usual, Fletcher said. On Thursday, she hosted a hiring event at the park and had lines of prospective employees waiting to sign up to work the fair.

Ahead of this year’s fair run, Cotner reminds people to be “fair aware” while attending and keep an eye out for any suspicious or unsafe activity.

“If you see something that doesn’t look right on the fairgrounds, say something,” Cotner said.