Over the past few weeks, violence has erupted on the Las Vegas Strip. There have been several incidents of shootings, some between individuals and others involving police. In one incident, the Flamingo was put on lockdown for several hours, leaving guests confused as to what was going on. For Wynn Resorts, the brand has decided to beef up security to ensure that the Wynn Las Vegas and the Encore are safe, adding metal scanners and K-9 dogs to the premises.
New Security Measures
Anyone entering the properties owned by Wynn Resorts will now be scanned via the metal detectors. This will help to know who may have a weapon on their person. Most of the incidents on the Strip involve gunfire.
Members of security will also be screening hand-held bags to check for weapons. The security checks will take place only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Among the violent acts, one took place at the Encore in September. A fight broke out on-site and resulted in around $15,000 in damages.
Along with the screening, the casinos will have more security personnel on-site. This will include a K-9 team as well as officers who served in the military and with the FBI.
Continued Violence
The issues on the Strip have led to continued violence among those who are out and about in the late night hours. In a recent incident, security guards of the South Point Hotel Casino shot an armed man in the valet area as he was brandishing a gun.
The man was on-site for about an hour when he fired a shot into the air when he left the casino. At that time, he pointed the gun at security guards, and they shot him. He was killed from the shooting. The man was not a guest at the hotel and early reports suggested he was possibly homeless.
Over the past few weeks, at least five individuals were wounded during shootings on the Strip. A woman was hit with gunfire in the valent area of the Aria due to a drive-by shooting. Another incident took place at the Stage Door Casino, where three people were hospitalized.
Yet another shooting took place near the Flamingo and one person was hospitalized. Because of the shooting, the casino was locked down for around three hours while police tried to find the suspect. Later on, two people were arrested for the incident in nearby California.
Sheriff Joe Lombardo has spoken out about the increased violence, blaming drugs and alcohol. In an interview, he said that a lot of people in a small area that want to have a good time and when you combine it with drugs and alcohol, you get a bad combination.
Just in August and September, authorities arrested over 1,100 people along the Strip and in downtown Las Vegas. Over 60 weapons were seized during the arrests. This recent activity is why operators like Wynn Resorts are taking drastic measures when it comes to protecting patrons and their many employees.
