After Latest Attack, How Movie Theaters Can Make Customers Safer

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Photo: Antioch Nashville shooting
Nashville police recovered this pellet gun after killing 29-year-old theater attack suspect Vincente David Montano. Police said Montano had mental health issues and "was committed to an institution at least three times."

took place near Nashville.

A man walked into a theater with pepper spray, a pellet gun, and a hatchet, according to Nashville police. Police killed him before he killed anyone else. It was the second attack on a movie theater in just a few weeks. On July 23, a gunman killed two and injured nine others at a cinema in Louisiana before taking his own life.

Howard Levinson, president of Massachusetts-based Expert Security Consulting, said security in many theaters around the country is lacking. Theater staffers, he said, are often young and not prepared to handle an active shooter.

"The training that they receive on how to make popcorn is three to five times more than the amount of training they get for security," Levinson said.

Levinson has worked with cinemas across the country to improve their defenses. He has also consulted with attorneys for victims of the Aurora movie theater shooting who are pursuing civil actions. He spoke with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner.