How the Minnesota Twins kept fans safe during a recent nearby shooting

On September 2, 40 minutes before Target Field opened its gates for a Minnesota Twins game against a division rival, the Detroit Tigers, a man opened fire nine blocks away in downtown Minneapolis, resulting in three deaths and six injuries, including law enforcement officers. “The number of emergency vehicles going by the stadium, headed that direction, was frightening. It was a nonstop cascade of sirens,” said Jeff Beahen, director of security for the Twins. Beahen, who served in law enforcement for 39 years in Minnesota, is familiar with quick decision-making. Although the security of the baseball stadium itself was not threatened, the proximity of the shooting and the emergency response could have compromised safety and travel logistics for thousands of visitors and employees on their way to the ballpark. Beahen had 40 minutes to decide whether the game should go on. Within a few minutes, he used a platform called Envoy to notify employees about the shooting, and 25 minutes later, he sent out a second notice that the situation was stable. Alerting employees in the building and those on the way helped Beahen make sure that risks were averted while an emergency meeting convened w…

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