In the wake of the Orlando mass shooting at popular gay nightclub Pulse this week, organizers for other events and venues are ramping up security. Gunman Omar Mateen killed 49 and injured 53 during the attack that struck during LGBT Pride Month, which commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in NYC.
Mateen reportedly scouted Disney World as a potential target for his massacre, and now the theme park chain is increasing security at all its locations. “Unfortunately, we’ve been living in a world of uncertainty,” a Disney spokesperson told Fox Business Network on Monday, June 13. “During this time we have increased our security measures across our properties, adding such visible safeguards [as] magnetometers, additional canine units and law enforcement officials on site, as well as less visible systems that employ state-of-the-art security technologies.” The theme park only installed metal detectors outside Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios last year.
Gay pride parades around the country are also beefing up security, including some of the biggest ones in New York and San Francisco, as well as dozens of smaller cities, including Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Providence and more. Another cause for concern: A man with firearms and explosive materials was arrested just before the L.A. Pride parade on Sunday, June 12.
The New York Police Department and Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed that the police force will be increasing their presence around gay bars and LGBT organizations, although they added there were “no credible threats” after the Orlando attack.
The organizers of NYC Pride shared an update on Facebook on Monday, June 13, confirming the event is still happening as planned on Sunday, June 26, but tried to ease the worries about security.
“Our staff and executive board have been in communication with the NYPD and our private security team, both of which are now putting together plans to adjust our existing security protocols in light of the Orlando attack,” they wrote. “For decades, we have worked closely with the NYPD and a number of other city agencies to ensure the safety of every guest. We also deploy a team of hundreds of professional security guards throughout our events, in addition to security measures that most guests never see.”
San Francisco is another city increasing police presence in “places of high public concentration including shopping, transit and entertainment areas, the city’s Castro District and LGBT venues, as well as our mosques, to ensure safety for everyone,” the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement. SF Pride, which will take place on June 25 and 26, is working with the San Francisco Police Department to conduct a full safety review and add extra preventive measures.
Chicago is also stepping up security across the city “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the Associated Press. While there is no specific threat in the Windy City, additional police will be patrolling neighborhoods with gay bars and establishments.
While some bars, nightclubs and restaurants are against adding any additional security because it would appear as if they have been terrorized by the Orlando attack, many believe it may be necessary to have certain precautions, such as pat downs, bag checks and metal detectors. Chris McGoey, a security consultant in L.A. who has helped manage nightclubs for 30 years, told Time that security screenings and metal detectors are becoming more common.
“Nightclub owners need to have a comprehensive screening process at the door,” McGoey said, but metal detectors are essentially where it ends. “Every bar, every club, every store, would have to be a version of the airport. We’re not there yet in this country.”
