FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — Nothing is immune from societal change, not even an institution that conjures up memories of kinder, gentler, more innocent times like the Minnesota State Fair does.
This weekend at the annual Minnesota State Agricultural Society joint convention the State Fair Board will discuss and vote on a number of concerns, including a proposal to install metal detectors at the Fair's entrance gates.
"We have looked at adding metal detectors as part of our safety program for a while now, as we believe this is the next step in maintaining a safe and secure environment," said State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer in a written statement provided to KARE 11.
Any decision or vote made on the metal detector proposal will be announced by Monday, Jan. 20.
While Hammer did not address the reasons metal detectors are on the agenda, incidents on and just outside the fairgrounds in recent years have raised concerns about patron safety.
Last summer three people were shot and a woman was struck by a car in the final chaotic hours of the fair's final day. Witnesses say the situation began with a fight that led to 19-year-old Dynasty Scott being critically injured by a motorist driving on Snelling Avenue.
Officers were responding to that scene when they heard gunshots about a block away at the main State Fair gate. One man was found suffering from a gunshot wound, while two others who were wounded later showed up at a local hospital.
Those shots were fired as fair-going families walked toward their cars and Park-and-Ride buses.
"Everybody was put at risk, there were several shots," said Steve Linders, spokesman for the St. Paul Police Department. "This is incredibly concerning. It doesn't matter if the person was shooting east or west, north or south, there's a lot of people in that area, and it was incredibly dangerous."
Other items on the State Fair Board agenda include approvals of proposed budgets for capital work and maintenance projects for the coming year, election or re-election of officers for the board, and more.
