Skokie Holocaust Museum On Alert After D.C. Shooting

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 11, 2009 5:20PM

After yesterday's shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., the Illinois Holocaust Museum is on "heightened alert." Richard Hirschhaut, executive director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, called the shooting in D.C. a "senseless attack." According to the Sun-Times:

"The constant safety of museum patrons is always a top priority of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center," Hirschhaut said. "To ensure the safety of all our visitors, the museum was built with a state-of-the-art security system, which was developed in consultation with experts in the security field and the support of the United States Department of Homeland Security."

Hirschhaut Wednesday confirmed that the museum was working closely with Skokie police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure a heightened level of security in and around the facility. Officials said the museum and education center remained open Wednesday although the permanent exhibition was closed because of previously-scheduled work.

88-year-old white supremacist James von Brunn will be charged with murder in the shooting, which claimed the life of museum security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns.