Feb. 4, 2013
April Wefler
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Six months after the shooting that killed 12 and injured 58, the Century Aurora 16 theater reopened Jan. 17. It was all over the news with information about new seats, new screens, new paint and a new marquee.
Yet we have heard nothing about new security.
According to ABC News, “individual theaters are now labeled with letters instead of numbers.” Additionally, “Theater 9, where James Holmes allegedly carried out his attack, is now ‘Auditorium H.'”
It’s possible there is new security and the plans are under wraps so, if someone tries to mimic Holmes, the security will surprise them.
But on the other hand, shouldn’t the public be made aware of the security?
Holmes chose the theater because Cinemark banned guns. If there had been security that night and members of the security team were allowed to carry guns, would the shooting have occurred?
According to Fox News, “armed security guards at movie theaters are rare in low crime areas … armed guards may have experienced difficulty getting quickly inside.” However, this was the night of the shooting.
You would think that afterward there would be new security plans and that the news would make sure the public knew the security plans so no one tried to do something like it again. Still, nothing.
Amid the debate over gun use that is currently dominating American society and President Obama’s second term since the shooting at Sandy Hook on Dec. 14, it’s curious that the news never said anything about the theater’s new security.
If the theater didn’t create plans for new security but has new seats, new screens, new paint and a new marquee, then weren’t they just wasting their money?
Although some of the victims’ families did attend the reopening six months later, other families boycotted it because they felt it was too soon.
If they knew there was security around, would they have been less likely to boycott? Or did they know that there was new security and did they boycott anyway?
Either way, it would have been more beneficial for the theater, both monetarily or otherwise, if the public had been made aware of new security plans if, in fact, there are any.