by Rod Hughes

Malls here are unable to control the entry of armed persons, the newspaper Al Dia reported today, in the aftermath of the massacre of eight persons in Omaha, Nebraska, by a demented gunman this week.

But there is a cultural difference that makes this less a problem here than in the United States. The tragedy was the fourth such mass shooting this year in the United States while Costa Rica has never had one. In fact, inside a Costa Rican shopping mall may be one of the safest places to be–the only shooting this year here in a mall was in the Fusion bar at Mall San Pedro. In that incident, 29-year-old Steven Chaves lost his life in an apparently casual altercation with a drinker.

Nor has this country ever suffered a mass shooting in a school, although some weapons in students’ backpacks have been confiscated and an accidental discharge of a student’s firearm killed a schoolgirl several years ago. The tragedy shocked a country unaccustomed to school violence.

But that shooting at Mall San Pedro caused security to be beefed up at the mall. But as Guido Granados, the company’s lawyer, points out, Costa Rican law forbids anyone but police from conducting body searches. Mass searches would be impractical, even were it permitted, during the holiday shopping season. Survellance cameras scan the outside and if someone is seen with a firearm, he is asked for a permit. Metal detectors at the entrance have been deemed too expensive.

Although this country has had no mall massacres, robbery and pickpocketing have been reported outside shopping centers. Police have increased surveillance during the holiday season but shoppers are urged to be aware of suspicious activities near them.