Thunder Alley - Security and Violence issues

[BoulderSooner]

"the manner in which thunder alley has taken place and continued to grow can not continue".

I don't think that means its dead

[iMAX386]

Even if TA is there in some form come game 3 it will be interesting to see how many people actually show up. I'm a little spooked about going now. I hate that that's the case, but I'm sure I'm not the only one with that sentiment.

Bet it's gonna take a big attendance hit.

[Urbanized]

Frankly, I think an attendance hit OUTSIDE the arena wouldn't be terrible. If something like this happened again, the concern would be an attendance hit INSIDE the arena (or in downtown in general).

[Pete]

Please keep this violence in perspective (not that the general public will).

By all accounts, this all started with some sort of confrontation between two groups of people.

It's very simple: if someone tries to engage you in an unwanted way, act like you don't hear them and keep moving. Do not engage.

Even in the most dangerous neighborhoods, this works. I can attest after working with gang members in some of the worst areas of Los Angeles.

[adaniel]

I've heard that the pre game stuff will likely be unaffected, but the viewing party in front of the big screen is in jeopardy and they will decide in the next 24 hours what to do.

[Jake]

How exactly is the watch party set up? Are there actual visible barriers and boundaries or is it just sit (or not sit) wherever there's room? Also, other than increased security, what should be done to insure safety? I've read from attendees that they saw people carrying multiple 12-packs of beer and alcohol with them. I think that has to go. Have people buy overpriced beer from tents or simply nix alcohol all together. Of course, if the watch party is disbanded, I guess it won't matter.

[Pete]

5:05 p.m. Mayor Mick Cornett confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Thunder Alley as it has existed will not continue.
Cornett said city officials loved the spirit shown by the 6,000 or more people who gathered outside the Chesapeake Energy Arena to watch the game Monday, but the shooting afterward in nearby Bricktown demonstrated the problems with such a setup.
“This ever-growing game night crowd that gathers on the street outside the building — that can't continue,” Cornett said. “There are too many public safety concerns. As much as we love the expression of enthusiasm, it's no longer a workable situation.”
Cornett said city officials haven't met with Thunder management to discuss alternatives, but options such as limiting the crowd size or moving spectators inside the Cox Convention Center are on the table.
“We need to hear from the team and what direction they would like to head,” Cornett said. “I'm sure we can come up with something that is workable.”


Read more: http://newsok.com/update-thunder-all...#ixzz1vduuMJD8

[Pete]

5:50 p.m. Police say the shooting victims are Norman Richards III, 22; Leibra Gaines, 22; Twaina Jones, 22; two 14-year-old females; one 13-year-old female; one 15-year-old female; and a 17-year-old male. Destiny Homes suffered blunt force trauma, police said.

Read more: http://newsok.com/update-thunder-all...#ixzz1vdvDCFIW

[jedicurt]

One idea is to move the watch party to inside the Cox Center but I think that would effectively kill it.

also...that only works if there isn't a Barons game (which by the next playoff series they will probably be done, but what about next year?..... although... if the only place downtown were to watch it at the barons game.... hmmm... sell $5 tickets and show the thunder game on the two big screens in the cox center while the barons game is going on... i think i just solved their attendance problem

[BDK]

I love the Thunder and I am a frequent game attendee, but when children get shot, it's game over. If the police cannot adequately prepare for the event, it should not happen. Game two gave them a sufficient sample to know what to prepare for.
I thought about making it to Thunder Alley last night, and I'm sure I would have been unscathed. However, increasing and disbursing the police presence as Pete has suggested or cancelling the event are really the only feasible and palatable options.

[Spartan]

This may be the most meaningless and ill informed passage you have ever written here, and given some of your rants over time, that is saying something. A not yet in effect open carry law had nothing to do with what happened in Bricktown. I'll speculate that the existing concealed carry law was not a factor either. I'll further speculate that illegal carry had quite a bit to do with matters. Time will tell, but I'm confident my speculation will end up being far more accurate than your silliness of trying to connect a not yet in place bit of legislation.

I am dismayed that you would call my concerns over the militarization of our local culture meaningless and ill informed. We have a culture where people think that a gun is the answer to problems, and that only a gun can get you what you want. That is regardless of open carry, concealed carry, or illegal carry. It's a huge cultural issue, and it becomes more and more pervasive as a result of our contentious political discourse.

I am still really bummed about what happened last night, but I won't say I didn't see it coming, and the more I mull over that, the more bummed I get. I don't mean to force my negativity on anyone, so if you can make me see things in a more positive light, I'm all ears. I'd love to see this in a more positive light, but 7 women and 1 guy were gunned down by a group of men, and if that doesn't speak to something deeply wrong with our culture, I don't know what does. But this goes much deeper than just Thunder Alley and hoodlum Laker fans.

[soonerguru]

Spartan, the gun lobby has this country by the balls, and culturally, it's considered macho and "cool" to carry a weapon. And never IN A MILLION YEARS will the gun lobby take one iota of responsibility for embracing and nurturing this cultural phenomenon.

As for Thunder Alley, I am greatly dissapointed in Mayor Cornett's words. I believe the situation can be managed without shutting down the party. He is probably getting a lot of heat to make this move from
some of his more fear-based non-urban constituents.

[Pete]

I also saw that there were two high school graduations downtown last night, which brought a lot younger crowd than would normally be the case.

[Urbanized]

I spent some time today with Craig Sager from TNT, as they were taping some segments for the upcoming Western Conference Finals and they were using Bricktown as a location. We chatted quite a bit, including talking about the events of last night. He asked me what I thought had happened and my opinions about it, and I told him much of what I've said in this thread.

Here's a guy who has been to untold NBA games in every NBA city in America. I'm sure he's seen it all, and is not uncomfortable at all, even in much more gritty environments and much larger cities. Yet he agreed with my assessment that Thunder Alley had teetered a bit out of control, and that while it was a great event in theory and even initially in practice, that some changes probably need to be made there. He had come to that conclusion last night before the incident, when he had stepped outside during the event itself.

He didn't seem at all judgmental about it, just didn't doubt for a second that TA had fed the problems on Reno, and that its current configuration needed some tweaks if nothing else.

He also wanted me to tell BoulderSooner hi.

[Spartan]

I spent some time today with Craig Sager from TNT,

I've never asked this about a dude before, but I'm curious what he was wearing...lol

[jn1780]

5:05 p.m. Mayor Mick Cornett confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Thunder Alley as it has existed will not continue.
Cornett said city officials loved the spirit shown by the 6,000 or more people who gathered outside the Chesapeake Energy Arena to watch the game Monday, but the shooting afterward in nearby Bricktown demonstrated the problems with such a setup.
“This ever-growing game night crowd that gathers on the street outside the building — that can't continue,” Cornett said. “There are too many public safety concerns. As much as we love the expression of enthusiasm, it's no longer a workable situation.”
Cornett said city officials haven't met with Thunder management to discuss alternatives, but options such as limiting the crowd size or moving spectators inside the Cox Convention Center are on the table.
“We need to hear from the team and what direction they would like to head,” Cornett said. “I'm sure we can come up with something that is workable.”


Read more: http://newsok.com/update-thunder-all...#ixzz1vduuMJD8

So the first reports were pretty much right. They will kill the live broadcast, but the same activities that were there before the the games were broadcast live will still be there.

[Soonerman]

I sure hope they keep the watch party going. Don't let a few morons ruin it for everybody else.

[soonerguru]

Urbanized, nice post.

I think the situation could/should be better managed, but it's unfortunate our mayor is letting the unruly actions of one dictate the experience for everyone else.

[Urbanized]

I've never asked this about a dude before, but I'm curious what he was wearing...lol

Western shirt and jeans. They're playing into the whole San Antonio/OKC cowboy schtick that Barkley has been pushing since it became obvious that those two teams would be the matchup. His crew also asked me if I could help them track down a live chicken for the shoot. I'm sure that was done with the best intentions, of course. Despite doing my best on Twitter, I was unable to produce one.

[Spartan]

Western shirt and jeans. They're playing into the whole San Antonio/OKC cowboy schtick that Barkley has been pushing since it became obvious that those two teams would be the matchup. His crew also asked me if I could help them track down a live chicken for the shoot. I'm sure that was done with the best intentions, of course. Despite doing my best on Twitter, I was unable to produce one.

Oh dear...thanks for the warning lol

[Urbanized]

The whole thing is a total send-up. Those guys are goofballs.

[Pete]

Below is affidavit and arrest warrant for the alleged shooter who just turned 19 about a week ago (not being 22 as previously reported).

Says the victims knew him and provided the ID.

Also said the pregnant woman was trampled.


Link

[WilliamTell]

Below is affidavit and arrest warrant for the alleged shooter who just turned 19 about a week ago (not being 22 as previously reported).

Says the victims knew him and provided the ID.

Also said the pregnant woman was trampled.


Link

Good job to the OKCPD for catching this idiots so quickly.

[Pete]

Poll on newsok.com shows that 80% want to keep Thunder Alley.

[Questor]

I like Pete's idea... the city should be transparent and tell us how they are going to address this in the future. If at all possible I would like to see TA continue on in some way, shape, or form. I've been to many games and have been out in TA before as well, and I have always felt safe. On the other hand, I believe the folks here who are saying the last few days the mood had shifted there... I have been to Bricktown on nights before where fights or shootings occurred... it seems like the possibility is always there when there are large groups of people around.

In some respects I think part of the root cause here is that the NBA, the crowds it draws, and the events of TA are still new territory with respect to the city and its various administrative and law enforcement branches. Several times last night during the game Barkley and others made comments about the size of the crowd in TA, the last time the tone in their voice did seem to be that of concern. Perhaps this is why you don't commonly see these types of things, to this scale, in other NBA towns. Maybe they've all gone through this and learned from it. Maybe OKC should admit that, tell us how we move forward, and move on. I'm not blaming anyone but the idiots who fired the shots, but I do think that the city owes us some explanation of how they will keep the area down there safe, and hopefully whatever plan they come up with won't be a huge over-reaction to the issue.