Security on minds of Dallas concertgoers after Manchester attack
Security is a big concern for concertgoers headed to the American Airlines Center on Tuesday night to see New Kids On The Block perform.
22 people were killed and 59 others injured in a terror attack Monday night as the Ariana Grande concert ended at Manchester Arena in England.
“My coworker that I'm taking with me was real fearful and I was like at the end of the day God is in control,” said concertgoer Shundra Truss.
It was a mix of excitement tinged with trepidation and determination for attendees in Dallas in the wake of the bombing in Manchester.
“Concerts are people's happy place. It's where they come for fun and happiness. It's just so sad to hear of something like that happening,” said concertgoer Elizabeth Bateman.
American Airlines Center management said in a statement: "We have reviewed security plans for the concert tonight and are making adjustments that are deemed necessary after that review. Per our policy, we do not publicly discuss specific details of our security protocols."
NKOTB singer Donnie Wahlberg said on Facebook that the attack in Manchester is weighing on his mind.
“Those hopeless souls, who wish to spread misery and hatred by carrying out acts of terror, can only win by turning us into the same lost and hopeless souls that they are. They only win by killing our hope, and taking away our freedom,” Wahlberg wrote. “Tonight, I will dance. I will dance, sing and celebrate. It will be with a heavy heart, and with thoughts of the victims and families in #Manchester on my mind, but I will not be deterred. I hope that you won't be deterred either.”
UK authorities say the suspected suicide bomber targeted the crowd of mostly women and children leaving the venue near a connected train station.
Security consultant and former FBI agent Gil Torrez says it's no surprise the bomber let the targets come to him at the end of the show when their guards are down.
“Terrorists are looking for soft targets,” said security consultant Gil Torrez. “Now they are not necessarily planning to disrupt the inside but out there in the public, in the street to blow people up, to blow themselves up and that's a tough one.”
Torrez says attacks like Manchester add a new dimension to how venues approach security. He said measures like adding more plain clothes officers outside may be worth the expense.
“Things may cost more but I think depending on the venue, the situation, the artist, you may have to think that far out of the box,” Torrez said.
But he says the reality is -- not every soft target can be outfitted with metal detectors or swept with bomb-sniffing dogs. Security may come down to intelligence -- and the average person acting less like a passive patron and more like a trained guard.
“I think it'll make me be more alert and aware and I'll make sure I know where the exits are,” Bateman said.