Featured image credit: Jean-Christophe Benoist
Las Vegas has a reputation as an “anything goes” adult playground. But would a Fremont Street curfew change that feeling of unrestrained debauchery? We may be finding out as city officials, including Mayor Carolyn Goodman, consider ways to curb an increasing trend of violence.
Five Years Since Tragedy Struck Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas is a beacon for those looking to indulge. Visitors make and lose fortunes in minutes. Any vice that can carry a price tag is encouraged. A scorching sun beats down on scantily clad travelers from around the globe. And alcohol flows as plentiful as tap water. These sort of conditions often include a bit of violence. But the Mandalay Bay mass shooting of 2017 looms large enough that we’re still in its shadow five years later. And with mass murder practically becoming a daily event in America, even drunken scuffles are earning a second look.
Gun Violence on Fremont Street
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman admitted on Twitter that she’s considering a curfew for iconic tourist hub Fremont Street. It may seem like an extreme response to anyone who hasn’t been following the local news in Las Vegas. But it’s not simple drunken fisticuffs between liquored up tourists setting this possible curfew in motion. At least two recent incidents have involved gunfire. A June 19th brawl resulted in the shooting death of 23-year-old Raymond Renova. The suspect? Ruben Robles, a 16-year-old whose list of felony charges will include murder.
Las Vegas Officials Consider a Mounting Problem
The proposed curfew follows more closely on the heels of a July 3rd incident in which a heated altercation resulted in gunfire. While this bout didn’t result in a fatality, a man was hospitalized and the shooter fled the scene. It was concerning enough to warrant a meeting between Mayor Goodman and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The potential curfew would only pertain to those under the age of 21. While the curfew may never come to pass, an increased police presence in the popular tourism spot has already been authorized.
Tight Security is Crucial on Fremont Street
With Fremont Street being a tourist hotspot, Las Vegas officials fear the recent gun violence will directly hurt tourism. Situated in the midst of the city’s downtown area, the entertainment center hosts world famous casinos, dining, and shopping experiences. Needless to say, tight security is paramount in such a crowded, free-flowing area. For now, it seems that officials are content to observe whether an increased police presence reduces violent incidents. However, Mayor Goodman may be floating the curfew to gauge public reaction.
It’s important to recognize that an under-21 curfew on Fremont Street would not be a catch-all solution to the area’s violence. A curfew wouldn’t have prevented a tragedy like the Mandalay Bay shooting. The perpetrator of that mass murder was a 64-year-old man. And with increased gun control efforts still a divisive topic for the American public, a curfew may be the most visitors can expect.
