music festival crowd

After Gilroy Garlic Festival Shooting, Chicago Ramps Up Security Measures at Lollapalooza 2019

Public safety is a key concern for the music festival, which draws hundreds of thousands to Chicago’s Grant Park each year.

Following a deadly shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in northern California on July 28, city officials in Chicago are taking action to prevent a similar tragedy from taking place at Lollapalooza, a music festival that began on Thursday and will last through Sunday.

The four-day event is expected to draw around 400,000 people to the city’s Grant Park, ABC7 reported. In the wake of concerns over safety at outdoor festival events, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot participated in a roundtable drill on Tuesday that presented some of the worst case scenarios for the event.

"We are vigorously, aggressively reaching out, planning and drawing upon resources from our federal partners to make sure that there's no incident here in Chicago," Lightfoot said, according to ABC7.

Each year, the event adds and refines security measures in ways that are “seen and unseen,” the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications noted in a statement. In 2017, event organizers strengthened security after the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history took place at a Las Vegas country music festival.

Security staff search all bags, administer magnetometer screening and conduct pat-downs at festival entrances. Lollapalooza also bans backpacks with multiple pockets.

“As always, public safety is our top priority for the event, and the city works year-round with the organizers to plan and prepare for the safety and security of attendees, performers and staff at the festival while ensuring a fun and memorable experience,” Rich Guidice, the executive director of the office, said in a statement.

At the Gilroy festival, the shooter was able to cut through a fence to access the fairgrounds and avoid going through security at guarded entrances, local authorities said. It would be more difficult to do the same at Lollapalooza, Guidice said.

“This is what we call the 'needle fencing,’” Guidice said, according to ABC7. "This is a pretty significant piece of equipment that is utilized for this event. You would need high powered tools to try to breach ... the fence that is put around the perimeter of the event."

Guidice added that there will be a visible police presence throughout the weekend, including at hotels and businesses along the street where the festival is taking place. The department also has undercover units assigned to work Lollapalooza, he said.

Organizers advise festival-goers to know their exit routes in case of emergency. In past years, the festival has been evacuated due to weather conditions.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities