Regal Entertainment Group, the movie theater chain that owns Regal Cinemas, implemented a new security plan to prevent future mass shootings in its theaters, reported the Associated Press. The decision comes after a gunman opened fire at a theater in Lafayette, La., during a screening of "Trainwreck" last month.
"Security issues have become a daily part of our lives in America," reads a statement on the admittance procedure page of Regal's website. "We acknowledge that this procedure can cause some inconvenience and that it is not without flaws, but hope these are minor in comparison to increased safety."
The company owns and operates about 570 theaters nationwide. Reports are unsure about when the bag checking procedure began, but customers noticed the new rules in Texas, Virginia, Florida and Ohio as early as the beginning of August, reported the AP.
Regal's decision to heighten security comes after a mass shooting during a July screening of the Amy Schumer film "Trainwreck," which killed two moviegoers and injured nine, as previously reported by HNGN. Other movie theater attacks occurred in Antioch, Tenn., and in 2012 at a Colorado screening of "The Dark Knight Rises."
A recent survey showed that 50 percent of movie theater attendees would pay $1 or more to support heightened security measures, reported Variety. No word yet on whether other national movie theater chains will follow suit.
