New York moviegoers unfazed by La. theater shooting

New York moviegoers at Regal Cinemas in Battery Park were not alarmed nor surprised by the recent shooting in Louisiana. Many were also uninformed.

Israeli motherMoran Winberger, who was unaware of the shootings, brought her kids to see “Minions” Friday morning. Winberger, moved from Israel only eight months ago. She heard before she came that in America there are shootings on the street. So, she decided to carefully choose her neighborhood in New York, which is Battery Park.

She found it difficult to say whether she feels safer in Israel or America, though she said “I feel good in my neighborhood,” and felt safe with her kids at Regal Cinemas.

Another New Yorker, and non-frequent, movie-goer also was unaware of the shootings in Louisiana. John Sang, a middle-aged, Asian man, was entirely unaffected by the news. He also expressed little surprise, and said, “Well, it happened before.”

Another moviegoer had heard the news of the shooting. Henry Zayas, about to see “Mad Max” with two colleagues, felt it would affect the number of movie-goers in New York a little bit, though he felt no concern entering the movie.

An employee of Regal Cinemas, Cheyenne, felt that the movie theater is a safe area, saying “police officers are around and notice suspicious behavior.” Two police officers had just left the theater.

The theatre affected by the shooting, The Grand Theatre 16, posted a statement on its website.

“All of us offer our thoughts and prayers to the victims and the community of Lafayette. We are grateful to all local officials and the Governor for their efforts.”