Kennywood shooting should alert other venues
In the wake of a triple-shooting last weekend, Kennywood amusement park is trying to determine whether a new security system by Evolv Technology failed, or the stolen gun used in the shooting bypassed it entirely.
Up to now, Evolv Technology security systems have appeared to work well. But as the company continues to add clients, other venues using Evolv Technology should explore backup options, until they know the system didn’t allow a weapon to slip through at Kennywood. Until then, security systems produced by Evolv Technology bear more scrutiny — anywhere they are used.
Earlier this year, another company tested the Evolv system and found it did not always detect metals that should have triggered an alarm. In a statement to the Post-Gazette, however, Evolv Technology spokesman Alex Ozerkis stated, “the Evolv Express system has been thoroughly tested by government and commercial experts and has been determined to meet safety standards and certifications for physical security.”
Kennywood prudently closed for a week of investigations and security reviews before reopening Friday with tighter security. The park has doubled its police presence, added floodlights and security cameras and cut trees along the perimeter fence, and expanded its chaperone rule. Adults must now accompany all guests under the age of 17.
Officials should be commended for moving quickly. For now, the additional security measures should suffice. The aura of innocent and carefree fun at Kennywood has already been tainted. Turning the amusement park into a jail isn’t the answer.
Evolv Technology, based in Massachusetts, added Kennywood as a client this summer. Security screens use sensors and artificial intelligence to detect threats. Unlike oldfashioned metal detectors, they can be programmed to ignore everyday items like keys and smartphones. Nationwide, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer teams use the technology. In Pittsburgh, Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust venues use the Evolv system.
On Saturday, groups of teenagers were roving the park, cutting lines and behaving aggressively at the opening of the park’s Phantom Fall Fest. A little before 11 p.m., an altercation escalated to gun violence. Thankfully, no one was killed. Three people were treated for gunshot-related injuries, none of them severe.
Whether the gun bypassed Kennywood’s new screening technology, or slipped through it, the security breakdown should put other Pittsburgh attractions using similar systems on alert.