Local businesses rattled following Colorado mass shooting

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Some businesses in Rochester are rethinking security following another mass shooting this year. A gunman entered a Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ nightclub on Sunday and fatally shot five people.

Peter Mohr, the owner of Bachelor Forum, Rochester’s oldest gay bar, says, he feels forced to think about security for his business.

Mohr says the hope is that no mass shooting ever happens again. But unfortunately, people are forced to adapt to the times, and very sadly, right now, that’s being prepared and taking preventative measures in the face of these horrific tragedies.

“From anti bullying and stuff like that, this is now one more thing we have to go after, is security you know, do we have to pat down people?” Mohr said.

That’s the reality for Mohr as a business owner, when it comes to protecting his bar and everyone inside it. The folks he calls family.  

“If we see something, we say something, or if we see a person who comes in here and is suspicious, you know we’re talking about it.”

Mohr says it’s difficult to think about forcing security measures that don’t support the bars mission.

“We want people to feel welcome, and patting someone down destroys that.”

Five people were horrifically murdered inside a gay night club in Colorado Springs Saturday, and 25 people were hurt. Like many others, Mohr’s mind went back to the Pulse Night Club massacre in 2016 when 49 people were killed. He says he’ll never forget how that affected Rochester.

“I reached out to the Rochester Police Department when Pulse Night Club happened. They had a car out in front of every bar for probably a week to 10 days, to protect, and to make sure we didn’t have a copycat, and it doesn’t happen in Rochester.”

Mohr says he knows he’s not the only person to ask or wonder, “Where is the love?”

“In my world it’s simple, let’s just treat everyone human and equal, and we can resolve all the problems, this hatred needs to stop.”