Manchester attack points to vulnerabilities even at venues with high security, counter-terrorism experts say

The explosion at an Ariana Grande concert in the British city of Manchester killed at least 19 people and injured dozens. It is raising new questions about how authorities can better protect large venues.

What we know

The explosion happened near an entrance to the 21,000-seat Manchester Arena just minutes after Grande’s concert ended with the song “Dangerous Woman” and the singer left the stage, witnesses said.

British counter-terrorism investigators think the attack may have been the work of a suicide bomber who entered a crowded area outside the performance space where attendees were streaming out of the concert, according to U.S. law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation.

They cautioned that all information is preliminary and video from security cameras will allow investigators to reconstruct the deadly events. A law enforcement official and a witness said the explosion happened near an entrance where fans typically pick up tickets.

Protecting vulnerable points in the crowd

Michael Downing, executive vice president of security for Prevent Advisors, which specializes in arena and stadium security, said many American and European venues already use metal detectors, bomb detection technology and armies of security guards and cameras inside the facilities.

But the Manchester incident shows the need for more vigilance in areas outside those security zones, such as transportation centers, walkways and parking lots, said Downing, the former head of counter-terrorism for the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Obviously, we are going to have look at ingress and egress,” he said.

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People pause in front of candles set up in Albert Square in Manchester, England.  (Ben Stansall / AFP/Getty Images)

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Fawaz Al Haffar, center, Manchester Islamic Centre and Disbury Mosque trustee, speaks to the news media Wednesday.  (Oli Scarff / AFP/Getty Images)

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A soldier and police officer patrol outside the Houses of Parliament in London on Wednesday. Nearly a thousand military personnel are being deployed around the country as the UK terror status is elevated to critical in the wake of the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena.  (Carl Court / Getty Images)

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Members of the public pause to look at floral tributes and messages in St Ann’s Square in Manchester.  (Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

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Manchester City Council workers move the floral tributes from Albert Square to St Ann’s Square on Wednesday.  (Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

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A woman hugs a girl wearing a T-shirt from Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman tour near Albert Square in Manchester.  (Chris J Ratcliffe / AFP/Getty Images)

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Messages of unity at Manchester’s Albert Square on Tuesday, the day after the deadly attack at a pop concert.  (Ben Stansall / AFP/Getty Images)

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A woman lights candles set up in front of floral tributes in Albert Square on Tuesday.  (Ben Stansall / AFP/Getty Images)

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Police officers on Tuesday add to the flowers in Manchester’s St. Ann’s Square for the victims of a deadly explosion at the nearby Manchester Arena.  (Martin Rickett / Associated Press)

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Messages are among the tributes left at a growing memorial in St. Ann’s Ann Square in Manchester, England.  (Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

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Ariana Grande concert attendees Vikki Baker and her 13-year-old daughter, Charlotte, leave the Park Inn, where they were given refuge after the explosion at Manchester Arena.  (Christopher Furlong / Getty Images)

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Police stand guard Tuesday near Manchester Arena, where 22 people were killed in a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert the night before.  (Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

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Forensic officers work the scene at Manchester Arena on Tuesday.  (Dave Thompson / Getty Images)

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Tributes are being left in St. Ann’s Square in Manchester, England.  (Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

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Workers hug each other after being evacuated from the Arndale Centre shopping mall in Manchester on Tuesday following a security alert.  (Ben Stansall / AFP/Getty Images)

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People sit under a billboard in Manchester city center on Tuesday.  (Kirsty Wigglesworth / Associated Press)

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A man embraces a woman and a teenager on Tuesday as he collects them from the Park Inn Hotel, where they were given refuge after the explosion at Manchester Arena.  (Christopher Furlong / Getty Images)

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Concert-goers are escorted away from Manchester Arena, where Ariana Grande had performed.  (Christopher Furlong / Getty Images)

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Police block a road to Manchester Arena after the explosion.  (Rui Vieira / Associated Press)

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Police stand guard at the scene of a suspected terrorist attack in Manchester, England.  (Paul Ellis / AFP/Getty Images)

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Emergency services personnel speak to people outside Manchester Arena after reports of an explosion at the venue Monday night.  (Peter Byrne / Associated Press)

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Police stand by a cordoned-off street close to the Manchester Arena on Monday night following an explosion after an Ariana Grande concert.  (Dave Thompson / Getty Images)

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Armed police stand guard at Manchester Arena after reports of an explosion after an Ariana Grande concert.  (Peter Byrne / Associated Press)

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Armed police at Manchester Arena after reports of an explosion at the venue during an Ariana Grande concert Monday night.  (Peter Byrne / Associated Press)

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Armed police and ambulances at Manchester Arena after reports of an explosion at the venue during an Ariana Grande concert Monday night.  (Peter Byrne / Associated Press)

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Emergency services work at Manchester Arena after reports of an explosion during an Ariana Grande concert.  (Peter Byrne / Associated Press)

He said Los Angeles law enforcement already monitors ingress and egress points at major events such as award shows and special sporting events such as world championships. But Manchester and recent acts of terrorism in Europe suggest more needs to be done, he said.

Terrorists tend to target areas where large crowds gather. Attacks in recent years in Berlin, Paris and Nice, France, have prompted Southern California law enforcement officials to review security measure at train stations and venues such as Staples Center and Dodger Stadium.

But this is a long-running issue that dates back to at least the 9/11 attacks. Security experts have long expressed concerns about a possible terrorism incident at Los Angeles International Airport not inside the terminals but outside where passengers sometimes are forced to line up. LAX has been working to reduce lines forming outside.

Los Angeles law enforcement monitors ingress and egress points at major events such as the Oscars and other award shows, but recent terrorist acts around the world suggest more needs to be done, a counter-terrorism expert said.

(Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images)

Are ‘vapor wake’ dogs the answer?

Downing said “vapor wake” dogs with more sensitive noses and different training from traditional bomb-sniffing canines can detect suicide bombers.

Traditional bomb-sniffing dogs are trained to smell specific objects. Vapor wake dogs are trained to smell particles in the air and can detect explosives worn on a person even in crowded areas and venues. Such dogs are already employed by the New York Police Department’s counter-terrorism operations, he said. The Los Angeles Police Department also has two of the dogs.

Brian Levin, a terrorism expert and professor at Cal State San Bernardino, said the British have some of the most sophisticated security practices of anywhere. But the incident in Manchester, he said, shows that whenever thousands of people gather at one place, it create targets that are difficult to protect.

“Even if you harden the perimeters, they will hit at whatever choke points exist,” he said. “So there is always somewhere to hit.”

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There have been more than half a dozen terrorist incidents in Britain since 2005