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Comment by voakbasda | Hacker News Reader

Did they identify the owner of the package?

Call me cynical, but I can easily imagine the scenario where the authorities themselves drop off a suspicious package as pretext to do a search, so they do not need to bother with that pesky problem of obtaining a warrant. Numerous agencies have been documented using this sort of dishonest and dubious tactics, so I do not think that possibility could be dismissed at the start.

At this point, I would trust some random unattended package more than I would trust the government to act with integrity. And that just makes me hang my head in deep sadness and shame for this country.

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After the shooting at the country music event in Vegas, there is absolutely no doubt that every venue there takes every suspicion very seriously. The fact that they did multiple sweeps etc is not remotely suspicious. It just indicates that they are worried about missing a bomb and then it later going off.

I suspect this event have loomed larger in Vegas security staff minds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey%27s_Resort_Hotel_bombin...

That’s fair, but I mostly bring up the more recent shooting because of the court cases regarding the venues missing clues and attempts to hold them liable

> Numerous agencies have been documented using this sort of dishonest and dubious tactics, so I do not think that possibility could be dismissed at the start.

The wording of this is similar to conspiracy theorists that spout off lots of theories with little to no evidence or logic.

1. Is there any evidence that the "local police and fire department" were searching anything that would normally require a warrant, besides the suspicious package? Surely Caesers would give a good amount of access without the charade if the police said they suspected something, and be able to do the search in a quieter way (which would mean it's less likely to tip off anyone who they'd be looking for).

2. Is there evidence of agencies (in this case, local Las Vegas FD and PD) planting fake bombs in the past to avoid getting a warrant?

You should need a lot more evidence to think that it was planted by police. So many more scenarios are more likely.

Same goes for a bomb though... it's Vegas, far more likely the owner of the bag was drunk, stoned and or otherwise distracted and forgot it than it being a bomb.

not aware of them identifying the owner but the "authorities" on site were caesar's security and they did the sweeps w dogs. i don't see caesar's clearing out their own venue during a convention because they "wanted to do a search". it was also during party hours when there are far fewer people and bags.

It would be trivial for the agent planting the package to then report it to the venue in order to precipitate the authorities being called.

I'm not claiming that this is what happened, but it's too easy to imagine this scenario being part of some three letter agency's playbook.

> Last night we were asked to evacuate the building due to a report of a suspicious package. Local police and fire departments conducted a thorough investigation and ultimately determined that the package was safe. They also conducted additional sweeps of the building as a precaution before allowing our team to return and prepare for today’s con.

I did wonder why they would "conduct additional sweeps" if it was determined that the package was safe. What are the usual precautions that police and fire take for conference venues in which no dangerous packages have been found?

While unlikely, it's not outlandish to think there could be a decoy package

Could have just been someone going around with a bomb sniffing dog while they were assessing the package. I'm guessing they weren't searching everyone's hotel rooms afterwards...

As I mentioned above, the additional sweeps should really be considered in the context of the previous Vegas shooting. The venue and police have every reason to be cautious.

Well that's what I was wondering about. Do police and fire there conduct sweeps of buildings preparing for large conferences as a routine matter? If so then fine, it just didn't exactly sound like it from that statement.

shoot we forgot to do the security sweep, better send the suspicious package!

CYA and keeping up security theater

If package had explosive residue but was not a bomb, then:

1) package is safe, AND

2) either: a) package had residue for harmless reasons, OR b) package was used to transport bomb.

conducting additional sweeps rules out case b.

why are you assuming cops / government?

it's def con, you don't bring a cell without doing all of the most recent security updates cuz someone there may get into it. plenty of pranker, hacker, cracker types there, and not crazy to think they could get up to mischief with a bomb scare too.

> the most recent security updates

Someone isn't worried about the issues being newly revealed at DEFCON or zero-days

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