Could the MontanaFair Shooting in Billings Have Been Prevented?
By now I'm sure that you've heard about the shooting at the fair Monday night. As of this time, we don't know the official details. But when I was first reading about it this morning at 3:30 a.m., the first thing that I thought was "Metal Detectors". Then found out that it's actually legal to carry a gun at the fair. If you want to walk around with one holstered on your hip, it's legal. That is, as long as you satisfy the requirements to own a gun in Montana.
Security wise I've seen some off-duty sheriffs patrolling the grounds. But I don't know if there are other security measures in place for when an event like a shooting takes place. Do we have plain clothes law enforcement on the grounds? I've heard that they do that for concerts but don't know if they have any for the fair.
What other upgrades could help prevent things like this from happening again? Because, quite frankly, if somebody wants to shoot another person over some beef, they're still going to shoot them. No amount of uniforms on the grounds will change that.
And if your kids were planning on going to this year's fair, will you let them still go if they haven't already? Or do you believe that this is just an isolated incident?
I'm sad to say that I don't think that our little piece of America is quite as safe as it used to be.
And to potential future shooters, I would advise you to be careful who you point your guns at. Especially in Montana.