LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — While Las Vegas prepares to host one of the biggest events of its kind this weekend, Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, some in town say they're thinking twice about going to events with large crowds.
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It comes in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination.
“With that just happening, I had a big concern flying out here," said J.J. Houk who is visiting Las Vegas for the first time from Ohio. "It’s somewhere we’ve never been, I don’t know anything about the area, before this, the furthest west I’ve been was Iowa.”
Houk says he understands if people have the same concerns.
“I wouldn’t blame them a bit, some people get very intimidated by it, I don’t blame them a bit, I got intimidated by it, but you gotta just keep on living," Houk said.
Houk won't be attending the Canelo vs. Crawford fight Saturday at Allegiant Stadium, but he may go to a watch party instead.
As for the event itself, it's expected to have around 60,000 people in attendance. Security expert Walter Kimble tells me while he understands the concerns, but he says our police force is prepared to keep us safe.
“They are real concerns possibly real fears, but I would also say that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is one of the best in the United States in preparing for such events," said Kimble. “If I had plans to go there, I would feel safe there.”
Kimble is a retired New Jersey police chief who has worked with Metro Police on several occasions. He tells me Metro has great resources and up-to-date training to defend and in countermeasures.
“There are certainly plain-clothes officers in the crowd, we have officers with high-ground advantage monitoring, drones, helicopters, but also we have uniformed personnel," Kimble said.
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Houk says it's reassuring to know how prepared police are and says, while he has concerns, he's not going to let that hold him back.
“Don’t let it stop you from living your life to the fullest," Houk said.
Kimble tells me he wouldn't be surprised to see an increased security presence, to not only keep people safe, but to make them feel safe at the event.