NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Police in New York have stepped up security at shopping centers in the wake of two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
The NYPD said the added security is a precaution and that there are no known threats to the city.
The department is hoping to discourage any would-be copycats with the increased police presence.
Shoppers at Herald Square were applauding the stepped-up patrols.
"Maybe if there's someone trying to do something, they'll think twice because there's some security force around," Maureen told 1010 WINS' Roger Stern.
"It's important to make people feel that they're at ease and they can do their everyday thing," Neil said.
But others, like Sherone, say there's little police can do to discourage a mass killer.
"If you don't care about your life, you don't care about the police, so you're willing to kill anyone," she said.
The city is paying respect to the shooting victims, flying flags at half-staff starting Sunday.
Twenty people were killed in El Paso Saturday and nine people were killed in Dayton early Sunday. Dozens more were injured in both shootings.
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