Las Vegas shooting: Security experts on what hotels can do to prevent another tragedy

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On Sunday night, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of concert-goers gathered at an outdoor venue below his 32nd floor room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, killing at least 59 and injuring more than 500 others.

Now, in the wake of the senseless Las Vegas massacre, hotel and security experts are divided on what can be done to protect guests in the future.

“The bottom line is, they couldn’t prevent it,” said Fred Del Marva, a hospitality security expert who works as a legal security consultant for hotels, bars and casinos in Las Vegas.

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“This is nothing but a random act of violence that couldn’t have been prevented. I’ve been wracking my brain, and I just can’t see it,” he tells Fox News.

According to Del Marva, hotels and casinos, in particular, have probably “the worst security” of any industry, in that it’s more reactive than proactive — i.e., security can review footage of a crime and deal with it accordingly, rather than prevent it.

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The only other option, as Del Marva sees it, is to create a strong deterrent at the entranceways in the form of a visible security presence, complete with trained dogs. And while that might not be a catch-all solution, Del Marva said it “still makes people feel edgy or uneasy if they’re thinking of doing something.”

 

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