Desert Oasis Festival goers talk safety after Las Vegas shooting

The first-ever Desert Oasis music festival is underway at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio. The two day music festival is hosted Empire Music Ventures and features 24 Reggae, Latin and hip hop artists. Cocktails, food and pop-up shops are also available.

It’s the first local music festival since the mass shooting in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and injuring nearly 500 others. Attendees at Desert Oasis say that tragic night is on their minds this weekend.

“We did have apprehension to come,” said Rachel Livingstone of Morongo Valley.

But attendees say it won’t stop them from enjoying the festival.

“We gotta continue to live our lives. We can let them win by not doing what we would normally do,” said Martae Collins of Los Angeles.

Other festival goers say they plan their festival trips differently now.

“It makes you sadly, have a whole new set of considerations regarding the venues you want to attend. Just things you have to consider now that never crossed our minds before,” said Rhiannon Smith, another attendee.

Livingstone added, “I mentioned to my boyfriend, just footwear alone, make sure I wear safe cautious shoes”.

Sergeant Dan Marsall with the Indio Police Department says Indio PD is always implementing new security tactics.

“We always take into account world situations and world events and lay them over our concert planning. So anytime we have these situations you have to be aware of them and you have to plug them into your event and you have to see, what would we have done?,” said Marshall.

Indio PD has local, state and federal partners to help plan and execute safe festivals.