LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A large downtown entertainment venue in Lawrence is ramping up security in the wake of recent fatal shootings nearby.

The Lawrence Journal World reports that all people attending events at Liberty Hall must now pass by handheld metal detectors to enter. The venue already prohibited guns, large bags and purses.

Three people were killed and two others injured on Oct. 1 near Liberty Hall, following an altercation. General manager Dean Edington says the venue wants to make sure that everyone there feels welcome and safe. He says the “world that we live in” requires more stringent security measures.Anthony L.

Roberts Jr. of Topeka is charged with killing all three victims, and with attempted murder of one of the men who survived.