Palm Springs Police increase patrols following shooting at gay bar in Tucson

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ)- A deadly shooting at an LGBTQ+ bar in Tucson is being felt hundreds of miles away in Palm Springs, where police are increasing their visibility in the Arenas District and community members say they are determined not to let violence elsewhere create fear at home.

For Dean Lavine, owner of Blackbook in Palm Springs, his first reaction to the news out of Tucson was simple.

“Not again.”

The shooting left two people dead and others injured, another act of violence impacting an LGBTQ+ space.

For people in Palm Springs, the distance between Tucson and the Coachella Valley has not made the emotional impact feel any less immediate.

“Any act of violence affects everybody,” Palm Springs resident Chalmers Johnson said. “Everybody feels a little less safe, a little more nervous, a little less willing to put their arm around the person next to them and talk to them. And that's sad.”

But people in the Arenas District say that sadness is not turning into retreat.

Lavine said the mood around the district is not one of panic or fear, but resilience.

“We can't go live our lives, that we can't have fun — we're more like, no, no, no. We're not going to allow you to do this here,” Lavine said. “There's kind of a resolve. I know I feel that way.”

That resolve was visible Tuesday night when incoming Palm Springs Police Chief Kyle Stjerne and other officers walked through the Arenas District, speaking directly with business owners and community members.

Palm Springs Police Lt. Michael Torres said the walk-through began as what the department considered a “temperature check” following the shooting.

“We were able to talk to some people and kind of go over what they were feeling in that moment, and what they needed from us in order to feel safe, and make sure that they knew that we were going to have their back,” Torres said.

Torres said there is not a specific local threat driving the increased visibility.

Instead, police say the focus right now is reassurance — increasing officer presence, creating more opportunities for conversations and making sure people know the department is there if they need help.

Palm Springs resident Joseph Kles said he has consistently felt safe in the Arenas District.

“I've always felt safe,” Kles said. “I've seen events going on here on Arenas — there are cops posted on top of buildings and everywhere. So, no, I feel safe here because of the Palm Springs Police Department.”

For businesses in the district, the relationship with police did not begin after the Tucson shooting.

Lavine said businesses throughout Arenas already communicate with one another and work together on safety.

“We train our staffs to be vigilant. We work with all of our neighbors,” Lavine said. “The Arenas District itself has each other's back. We're like a family.”

That existing relationship is part of what community members say makes the district feel different.

Rather than telling people to ignore the violence that happened in Tucson, residents and visitors who spoke with News Channel 3 said they want people to acknowledge the fear such violence can create without allowing it to control their lives.

Palm Springs resident Brendanno Mullen said fear should not prevent people from continuing to live openly.

“Fear is incapacitating,” Mullen said. “Don't hold it. Just live your life. Don't let these people scare you. And just be bold.”

Police say people should expect the added visibility in and around the Arenas District to continue over the coming days.

Officers are also encouraging anyone who sees something that does not feel right to contact the department, even if they are unsure whether it rises to the level of an emergency.

Torres said that could include anything that simply feels unusual or out of place.

“You should definitely be letting somebody know that there's something a little bit off going on,” Torres said. “It could be nothing. But if it's something, we want to make sure that somebody was told about it and then we're acting appropriately.”

For many people in the district Wednesday, the message was consistent; the Tucson shooting brought sadness and concern, but it is not going to define how Palm Springs’ LGBTQ+ community moves forward. The response is resilience.