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Oakland County Movie Theater To Check Bags After Recent Shootings

WALLED LAKE (WWJ/AP) - A movie theater chain that operates a theater in metro Detroit has begun to check bags in response to shootings at theaters around the country.

The policy extends to some 570 theaters around the country owned by Tennessee-based Regal Entertainment Group, including the UA Commerce Township Stadium 14, located on Springvale Drive in Walled Lake.

On its website, the theater chain says: "Backpacks and bags of any kind are subject to inspection prior to admission. We acknowledge that this procedure can cause some inconvenience and that it is not without flaws, but hope these are minor in comparison to increased safety."

It's unclear when the policy began.

Earlier this month, a man with a history of mental illness and armed with a pellet gun, hatchet and pepper spray attacked guests at a mostly empty movie theater in Antioch, Tennessee, before being shot dead by police.

Two weeks before that, a man shot and killed two people and wounded nine others before fatally shooting himself during a screening of the movie "Trainwreck" at a theater in Lafayette, Louisiana.

The latest attacks came the same month that Colorado theater shooter James Holmes was sentenced to life in prison by a jury for killing 12 and injuring 70 theatergoers three years ago at a midnight premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises."

Last week, security was tight at the Los Angeles premiere of "Straight Outta Compton," with invited guests made to navigate various barricades and pass through metal detectors before picking up their tickets.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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