LEWISBURG, WV (WOAY) – In response to the country’s recent mass shootings, the State Fair of West Virginia will be incorporating something new this year– metal detectors.
State fair coordinators plan to set up the technology at the three entrances to the fair during the event from August 11 through August 22. More than 150,000 people make their way to the state fair every year, creating a potential hotbed for a shooting to occur.
State Fair CEO Kelly Collins says that in light of everything that has been happening, it was an easy decision to make.
“You can watch the news on any given day and hear someone say, well I never thought it could happen here,” Collins says. “Unfortunately, I think we are living in a time where it could happen anywhere, and bad guys are going to do bad things no matter what, but we hope the metal detectors are a deterrent or something to slow down if somebody does have bad intentions.”
Organizers are working with the State Police to make the metal detector process as easy as possible where people won’t even have to take items out of their pockets.
Weapons are prohibited on state fairgrounds. Large bags will be subject to be searched.
