Cameron Turner, 22, has since been arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault. Turner told Dallas police that he’d acted in self-defense.
Some social media users raised questions about the fair’s firearm protocol in the shooting’s aftermath; for a time, even Big Tex himself seemed confused.
When we checked the fair's FAQ page on Monday morning, contradictory language was used to describe its weapons policy. At one point, the FAQ stated: “No weapons of any kind are permitted on the fairgrounds. This includes firearms …” Shortly after that, the page said that attendees with valid handgun licenses can take their firearm with them, so long as they keep it concealed.
The Texas State Fair says "no weapons of any kind are permitted on the fairgrounds. This includes firearms." The very next paragraph says, well, except for LTC holders who can bring guns as long as they're concealed. pic.twitter.com/VfKLEvOlu2
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) October 15, 2023
The FAQ has since been updated and now reads: “No weapons of any kind are permitted on the fairgrounds, with an exception for License to Carry (LTC) holders (see below for more details.)”
Karissa Condoianis, a fair spokesperson, told the Observer that people with LTCs will be asked to show their license to a Dallas officer upon entry. Turner, the suspect, didn’t have one. How he was able to enter with a gun remains under investigation, she added.
“Every day of the state fair, we have a significant amount of police officers, safety team members, and private security officers on-site,” Condoianis said. “No policy changes are planned at this time; however, as a precautionary measure we are working with DPD and our private security partners to increase security presence at the gates and throughout the fairgrounds for the remainder of the Fair.”
The State Fair of Texas is just one of an ever-increasing number of events nationwide to be marred by gun violence.
In late September, one person was injured in a shooting at the Oklahoma State Fair. Earlier that month, gunfire erupted about a block away from the Minnesota State Fair, where a man had been injured in 2022 after he was shot in the leg on fairgrounds.
As one shooting blends into the next — and the next … and the next — gun-control groups grow increasingly frustrated with lawmakers’ refusal to carry out meaningful change.
Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, counts Dallas’ fair shooting as another example of Texas’ “gun violence crisis.” The way she sees it, the presence of guns at such big events highlights the need for greater regulations.
“Alarming statistics from the Gun Violence Archive reveal that in the course of this year, there have been 52 mass shootings in Texas, resulting in the tragic loss of 63 lives and the injury of 211 individuals,” Golden said in a statement to the Observer. “We call on our state leadership to prioritize policies that promote safety over reckless gun usage.”
The U.S. is the only country in the world where these kinds of shootings happen regularly, said Ramya Swami, state policy manager at Brady, a gun violence prevention organization. They’re increasingly occurring in public places like the fair, too."We cannot continue to live like this — it’s as simple as that.” – Miriam Elizabeth Sharma, volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action
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Brady recommends that the state fair reassess its carrying policy and make it widely known after coming to a decision, she said.
Firearm proponents often cite the notion that a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun. But Swami noted that the numbers tell a different tale. From 2000 to 2019, just 1.2% of active shooters were killed by a civilian, according to FBI data.
Studies indicate that the presence of more firearms boosts — not decreases — the chance of violence, Swami said. And mass shootings still haunt the cities of El Paso, Uvalde, Sutherland Springs and Allen, to name only a few.
def not what u wanna see at the top of the ferris wheel at the texas state fair pic.twitter.com/zx8V7p1frh
— awbs 🪐 (@cans0fsoup) October 15, 2023
The way Swami sees it, it’s “outrageous” that guns are allowed in family-friendly places like the fair to begin with.
“You shouldn't be taking your kids to the fair to eat really good Tex-Mex food, and go on rides and just have a great fall weekend with your family, and have a fear of them getting shot and not coming home,” she said.
Alcohol has been linked to heightened aggression levels, including firearm violence, according to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. Some 42% of offenders convicted of homicide were reportedly “under the influence of alcohol” at the time of the crime.
Texas doesn’t allow guns in establishments that earn more than half of their revenue from alcohol, an Everytown spokesperson wrote to the Observer. The organization believes that guns shouldn't be allowed in crowded places where booze is served, which would include the fair.
Miriam Elizabeth Sharma, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action, noted that guns are the No. 1 cause of death for U.S. kids and teens. She said this “epidemic” won’t subside without definitive action.
"We cannot continue to live like this — it’s as simple as that,” she said via email. “What should have been a joyous familial activity, ended in gunfire thanks to Texas lawmakers' refusal to protect their constituents.”
