Minnesota State Fair to add metal detectors at gates

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota State Fair’s governing board decided Sunday to add metal detectors at all 11 of its gates beginning this year.

General manager Jerry Hammer said the process will be similar to what people experience at other big venues, such as the Xcel Energy Center and US Bank Stadium. Hammer also pointed out that several state fairs have already been using metal detectors for years, including Wisconsin and Texas.

No incidents involving weapons have been reported inside the fairgrounds recently, according to Minnesota Public Radio News. But three people were shot outside the main gate during an altercation shortly after the fair’s closure for the year on September 2019. The fair this year runs from Aug. 27 through Sept. 7.