Patron Management Institute
6 shot on street near north Florida stadium before NFL game
Associated Press•October 22, 2018 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Six people have been wounded in a street shooting blocks from the Florida stadium where the NFL’s Houston Texans played and defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon, authorities said. Ron Lendvay, director of investigations for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, said several shots rang out about 12:35 p.m. Sunday on a boulevard in the stadium’s general area and that five men and one woman were hit by gunfire. All were rushed to hospitals, and the sheriff’s office tweeted that three of the victims were in critical condition. The victims ranged in age from their 20s to the 70s, according to Lendvay. The shooting broke out before the scheduled 1 p.m. start of play. Lendvay reported no link to the game, which went on without incident, and said investigators were investigating whether it was gang-related. The Texans won their fourth consecutive game Sunday, defeating the Jaguars 20-7 to take a one-game lead in the AFC South at the stadium, TIAA Bank Field. Local media reports cited authorities as saying the shooting had had no impact on game day activities though some fans headed to the game reported hearing the gunfire. Lendvay told reporters Keep Reading
Event Safety and Security Risk Update: Stampedes, or Crowd Surge/Rush
Event Safety and Security Risk Update: Stampedes, or Crowd Surge/Rush – By Peter Ashwin and Giovanni Pisapia October 11, 2018 “Panic and confusion erupted in Central Park on Saturday night (the 29th September 2018), after a loud noise frightened concertgoers at the Global Citizen Festival, with some people erroneously attributing the sound to gunshots. Witnesses described a near-stampede in some places, as people sprinted for cover, jumped fences and trampled one another. Some were in tears and called their loved ones, and others said they had lost items or gotten separated from their friends, according to social medial. But the police quickly refuted reports of a shooting, saying at first that the noise was from a fallen barrier, not gunshots” (Sarah Mervosh, 2018). Such incident echoes a similar incident which occurred on the 3rd June 2017 in Turin’s central Piazza San Carlo, during a screening of the UEFA Champions League Final between Juventus and Real Madrid. As a result, one woman died and at least 1,526 people were injured. It is believed that suspects caused the panic in San Carlo square by shooting pepper spray into the crowd while trying to commit a robbery (The Local, 2018). Media reports stated Keep Reading
Baker Launches Security Task Force Focused On Sports Arenas And Other Large Venues
October 04, 2018 Callum Borchers Gov. Charlie Baker was on the Gillette Stadium field hours before the Patriots were set to play the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. He wasn’t there to chat up Tom Brady but rather to sign an executive order aimed at improving security for the 68,000 fans who pack Gillette to watch Brady and the Patriots play. The governor’s order created the Massachusetts Large Venue Security Task Force, comprising law enforcement officials and managers of sports arenas and other big facilities. Baker said the group will meet at least four times per year to share information and best practices. “Our view was by creating a task force — a central opportunity for people to gather on a quarterly or a monthly basis — that just seems like a way to turbocharge the activity here and give people across the venue spectrum a lot more opportunity to engage with one another around what people are doing that seems to be working to keep people safe,” Baker said. TD Garden President Amy Latimer said she already talks about security with her counterparts at Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium. “But I don’t know that we sit in a room and strategize,” Keep Reading
They Thought It Was a Shooting. The Real Danger Was Mass Panic.
By Ashley Southall and Ali Winston Oct. 3, 2018 Cardi B had just stepped offstage after performing for thousands in Central Park when a loud pop pierced the air, sounding like a gunshot and igniting fears of a shooting. Backstage, police commanders scrambled to find out what was going on, and quickly determined no shots had been fired. They rushed to the stage to tell the crowd. “Remain calm,” Assistant Chief Kathleen O’Reilly pleaded into a microphone, saying the sound had been a fence falling over. But it was too late. Frantic concertgoers ducked and rushed for a limited number of exits. Some people screamed “Shooter!” Barriers and tall fences were toppled. People fell and were trampled. Many fled shoeless. Some police officers even contributed to the pandemonium, telling people to duck and run. Though no one was seriously injured, the chaos at the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday jolted law enforcement authorities, security experts and policymakers. It has forced an examination of whether the police need new ways of curbing the risk of crowd panic in an era when mass killings have heightened public fear of attacks. By the next day, police commanders had determined that it had not Keep Reading
Chiefs’ new tailgate policy will force fans into stadium after kickoff or send them home
Non-ticket holders won’t be able to stay in the parking lot after the game starts by Kevin Skiver Aug 28, 2018 The Kansas City Chiefs‘ new gameday policy might put a damper on a few barbecues. Beginning this season, there will be security sweeps in the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot after kickoff, and fans straggling to get inside will be ask to go in or go home. According to Fox 4 KC, it’s an NFL suggestion that the Chiefs are implementing. “They’re really looking at it from a safety and security standpoint,” said Chiefs president Mark Donovan, per Fox 4 KC. “We looked at that and said, we don’t necessarily agree in KC, that’s what we should do. We know our fans pretty well. We know the importance of tailgating. However, there are some real strong points in the safety and security standpoint.” According to Fox 4 KC, this comes in the wake of the death of Kyle Van Winkle, who was sick before kickoff and tried to sleep it off. Unfortunately, Van Winkle entered the wrong car, and the owner of the car found him sleeping in it. The ensuing fight killed Van Winkle, and the Chiefs settled with Keep Reading
Lawsuit Follows Mass Shooting at Florida E-Sports Event
By Christopher Coble, Esq. on August 28, 2018 12:20 PM David Katz, a white, 24-year-old allegedly angry after a loss during a “Madden NFL 19″ competition in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday, left the GLHF Game Bar, retrieved two guns from his car, and shot 13 people at the event, killing two and eventually killing himself. Katz was visiting from Baltimore for the e-sports event, and, according to the Associated Press, had previously been hospitalized for mental illness. USA Today is also reporting that survivors of the shooting have filed a “negligent security” lawsuit, although the law firm that announced the suit has declined to name its clients or the proposed targets of the litigation. People Over Profits “Unfortunately, the country has watched this unfold too often in the past,” attorney Matt Morgan said. “This is not the time in America for bare-bones security or, even worse, no security at all.” Morgan said his firm represents at least one person who was shot during the assault. “The safety of Americans must always come before profits. It must always be people over profits,” Morgan said. The event was organized by video game giant and Madden creator EA Sports. The competition itself took Keep Reading
Liverpool reports ticketing cyberattack to data protection regulator
Liverpool reports ticketing cyberattack to data protection regulator Posted by TheTicketingBusiness on 10th August 2018 Liverpool fans have been warned of another potential data breach via the club’s ticketing services. Ahead of the start of the Premier League season later today, the club is writing to a group of supporters who used online and telephone ticketing services in 2012 following unauthorised external access to an employee account. Liverpool has advised the fans to change their passwords. The club has also reported the incident to the police and Information Commissioner’s Office, which regulates data protection in the UK, and launched an internal investigation. The club last month admitted that some season ticket holder information has been stolen from a club email account. While Liverpool said there is no evidence that any supporter accounts have been accessed, it reset online passwords and has issued guidance to those affected. Speaking about the new breach data, chief executive Peter Moore said: “We take privacy and the security of the personal information we hold extremely seriously. Unfortunately, we have determined that recently there has been unauthorised access to an LFC staff account. “Upon discovering the incident, we immediately took steps to ensure that no further Keep Reading
Hackers Reportedly Breach PGA Servers, Demand Bitcoin Ransom
By Joe Lemire / August 9, 2018 Just two days before the PGA Championship, hackers breached the computer servers of the PGA of America, locked officials out of important files for the tournament, and demanded ransom to reinstate access. Golfweek reported the attack and noted that the hackers’ message included a Bitcoin wallet number, although did not specify the ransom amount. A PGA spokesperson declined comment, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. One source told Golfweek that the golf organization had no intention to meet the demands. The magazine noted that the affected files included creative materials—banners, logos, and signage—for both the PGA Championship at St. Louis’ Bellerive Country Club and the Ryder Cup that begins on Sept. 28 in the Parisian suburbs. The hackers’ message read, in part: “Your network has been penetrated. All files on each host in the network have been encrypted with a strong algorythm [sic].” SportTechie Takeaway The impact of Russian hackers on the 2016 national elections broadly increased awareness of the need for cybersecurity. Sports had a hacking crisis that same year when confidential information in the World Anti-Doping Agency database was stolen and released. Last month, Fenway Park hosted a panel on Keep Reading
Hundreds Injured After Platform Collapses At Spain’s O Marisquiño Festival
August 15, 2018 Olivia Perreault While concertgoers gathered around to see a rap artist at O Marisquiño Festival in Vigo, Spain this past Sunday night, part of the wooden platform collapsed, injuring more than 300 people. During rapper Rels B’s first song on stage, he told the crowd to jump, and suddenly, the wooden platform gave way. “The floor [of the platform] dropped like a lift. It was a matter of five seconds,” Aitana Alonso told a local newspaper. “It broke and we all fell. People fell on me. I had trouble getting out. I was trying to get out and skidded, my foot got stuck, in the water. I got it out. A boy gave me his hand and I got out. I felt paralysed and [then] I left. There was a girl with blood on her head.” According to witnesses, there were scenes of panic as concertgoers tried to scramble off the platform, some falling into the sea. Several emergency teams were at the scene and attended the injured while divers went into the sea to make sure no one was trapped underneath the structure. “Suddenly everyone disappeared and everyone was trampling on everyone else as they tried to Keep Reading
‘A stunt’: Outrage builds over MGM Resorts’ decision to sue victims of Las Vegas massacre
John Bacon, USA TODAY Published 11:37 a.m. ET July 17, 2018 A lawsuit filed by MGM Resorts International, owner of the Las Vegas hotel from which Stephen Paddock fatally shot 58 people and wounded hundreds, is drawing outrage from survivors of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The suit filed against hundreds of the victims of the rampage Oct. 1 outside the Mandalay Bay hotel claims the entertainment giant has “no liability of any kind.” MGM said in a statement the filing was meant to provide a “timely resolution” for shooting victims who sued or will sue in the aftermath of the attack during the Route 91 Harvest Festival. MGM said litigation filed against it “must be dismissed.” “The unforeseeable events of October 1st affected thousands of people in Las Vegas and throughout North America,” MGM Resorts spokeswoman Debra DeShong said in a statement. “From the day of this tragedy, we have focused on the recovery of those impacted by the despicable act of one evil individual.” More: ‘There’s people shot everywhere!’: Las Vegas shooting 911 calls released More: Documents detail terror, chaos during deadly Las Vegas shooting rampage Brian Claypool, a survivor of the rampage who represents 75 survivors and victims’ family members, Keep Reading