The mass shooting in Las Vegas has Atlanta police thinking.
“Any time there are attacks like the one in Las Vegas, or anywhere in the world, we examine the circumstances and work to determine how we can best apply any lessons learned,” APD spokesman Carlos Campos said in an email Monday. “Maintaining public safety in these times is an enormous challenge for law enforcement, but we have to continue to invest in terrorism prevention and response initiatives.”
A shooter, armed with a cache of guns, killed at least 58 people and wounded hundreds more Sunday night on the Vegas Strip. Stephen Paddock, 64, fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel into the crowd of 22,000 at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival as Georgia's Jason Aldean played, police said. Paddock was found dead in his hotel room.
Like Vegas, Atlanta often plays host to outdoor concerts in the shadows of high-rise buildings, which, Paddock reminded, can be used by gunmen.
This isn’t new, of course. It’s how John F. Kennedy was killed.
But the Vegas shooting has police and event spaces, both indoor and outdoor, considering how to continue and improve safety here.
At Atlanta police, Campos said authorities in Vegas are setting an example for how to respond.
“Under the most difficult of circumstances, law enforcement and first responders in Las Vegas are to be commended for their great skill and professionalism dealing with America’s worst mass shooting,” he said. “Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this terrible crime.”
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