Almost two and a half million people poured through the gates at the State Fair of Texas this year, but this year’s fair had a new rule as a result of a shooting in 2023.
People posted a video online after a shooting in the food court during the 2023 state fair showing people hiding under tables as officers had their guns drawn. One guy even posted a video from the ferris wheel as he watched people running below when the fairgrounds were evacuated. Three people were hurt, and a 22-year-old man was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Ahead of this year’s state fair, security director Jeff Cotner announced a ban on guns as a result.
That policy included people who have a license to carry, concealed carry and permitless carry. The policy did not apply to current or retired police officers. Cotner said the State Fair of Texas was adopting a rule similar to other large events in Texas, including the rodeos in Austin, Houston and San Antonio.
But the Texas Attorney General sued, saying neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair can infringe on Texans’ right to self-defense. At a hearing in Dallas, an investigator from the AG’s office said he was already getting complaints, arguing an unlicensed gun owner committed a crime last year, so the State Fair was punishing licensed gun owners by taking away their ability to defend themselves.