LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Regal Entertainment Group will begin checking moviegoers' bags for their safety, the company said Wednesday.
It is unclear when the policy was added, but it is believed to have happened after a movie theater shooting in Louisiana took place in July, claiming two lives. In August, a male individual also attacked moviegoers with pepper spray and a hatchet before being shot and killed by police. Additionally, in 2012, a gunman killed 12 individuals and injured 70 others in a Colorado theater.
A scare also happened in California's Orange County in August when four intruders revved a leaf blower and yelled in the darkness of an auditorium, prompting dozens of moviegoers to run outside. Three people were injured in the process. An adult and three juveniles later turned themselves in to law enforcement officials.
Regal Entertainment Group, which operates nearly 7,300 screens in the U.S., said it wants customers and staff to feel safe and comfortable when working or visiting its locations.
Related
"To ensure the safety of our guests and employees, backpacks and bags of any kind are subject to inspection prior to admission."
The company acknowledged the inconvenience this may bring its customers and hopes that this will be a minor nuisance in light of heightened safety.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst for entertainment research company Rentrak, told USA Today that moviegoers are unlikely to be bothered and that the box office is not likely to be impacted "at all." Jeff Bock, a box office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, questioned the logistics of the policy and the change of expectations this may bring for young employees working in movie theaters. He claims that asking 16-year old employees to search through bags for firearms will change their status to that of an underpaid security guard.
Theaters in the company's hometown of Knoxville, Tenn. already have signs up advertising the new policy.
