SEATTLE — As many mourn the lives of the two people killed outside the Gorge Amphitheater, concertgoers are demanding change.
They are calling for increased security, with the hope that something like the June 17 shooting never happens again.
More than 3,000 people have signed the online petition.
The goal is to improve safety at every festival and concert.
The petition calls for the RAVE Act to be amended. The bill was originally passed in 2002 to discourage drug use at events like music festivals by allowing prosecutors to hold businesses and venues legally responsible for drug-related offenses that take place during their events.
Organizers of a Monday vigil for the victims who were killed at the Gorge are looking to amend the law to have increased police presence at festivals with a focus on weapons and physical threats rather than drugs.
“Security checks should be treated like TSA,” the group says. “If airports can be safe, music festivals can be safe.”
The petition also calls for widely-distributed evacuation plans at events, overdose tents “fully stocked” with Narcan and staffed with trained professionals, and highly-trained, well-paid security who are focused on confiscating weapons.
“We demand that either the Rave Act be repealed or amended with provisions that protect attendees from harm without penalizing promoters and venues for creating an environment where drug use is allowed, but requires them to maintain a high standard of security and reaction teams for the safety of everyone both working and in attendance,” the petition reads.
On Monday, a candlelight vigil was held at Cal Anderson Park on Seattle’s Capitol Hill to honor the couple who was shot and killed at the Gorge campground while the Beyond Wonderland music festival was going on.
Two other people — Andrew Cuadra and Lily Luksich — were wounded. Cuadra is now out of the hospital.
Luksich is also out of the hospital and back home but in a wheelchair, according to a family member’s Facebook post on Sunday.
“She is recuperating under the full-time care of her mom and getting better each day. She’s enjoying rolling around the neighborhood in her wheelchair and practicing using her walker,” said Stacy Oliver Renfro.
Luksich’s family has also set up a GoFundMe for her.
Many at the vigil signed the petition.
“We’ve got to do more. For everybody at every festival. Not just raves, not just our concerts, but concerts across the boards,” said Alexander Fisk, who started the petition.
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