Last Saturday, September 24th, was a workday I will never forget. Running a ride to the tune of a chainsaw-wielding actor, I watched as fake fog filled the midway–it was the opening night of Kennywood Park’s Phantom Fall Fest, an annual fall event. I was about to start another ride when two groups abruptly jumped out of their cars and ran through the ride’s exit gate. It was at that moment I realized that something was seriously wrong. Lights came on that are normally turned off for the Halloween-themed event, and people were heading towards the exit at a continually quicker pace. 

At 10:45 PM, a panicked co-worker ran over to my ride and confirmed my worst fear, telling me to head with him to the neighboring coaster as soon as possible. We got caught up in a crowd surging towards the back of the park, which suddenly broke into a run, pushing me against a fence. 

A crying family followed us up to the coaster platform, saying they needed a place to hide. We crouched behind one of the coaster trains for a while, hearing distant yells and police sirens. We remained in hiding for 20 minutes, moving deeper into the ride’s maintenance area. By this point, the sound of emergency sirens had become deafening.

An armed police officer approached the ride, telling us that all employees were being evacuated. The coaster was still in the midst of being shut down, but we were told to drop everything and leave. Coming back onto the midway, I was shocked to see some 20 officers sweeping the walkway, all carrying assault rifles and on high-alert.  

The park was cleared of visitors by this time, but we were unable to stop at our employee locker as we were escorted out. The tunnel that is the portal to Kennywood was covered with trash, left behind in the stampede to exit. Most distressing were a few shoes left behind, their owners too frenzied to retrieve them.

Walking out of the tunnel, I saw more emergency lights in one place than I ever had before. Kennywood Boulevard was a sea of police cars and ambulances, with traffic completely blocked.

Workers convened outside the entrance, sharing phones with workers who had left theirs in the park. Some tearfully greeted close friends, but everyone was dazed and confused. It was now midnight, and a small group of us were forced to remain in the Human Resources office until security had completely searched the park. Our belongings were still in the lockers located inside the park.

The next hour felt like a dream, as ride operators were mixed with scare-actors from the park’s haunted houses who also had to wait. Actors in ghoulish makeup waved their fake bones as they exchanged rumors about the shooter, the most popular being that the gun had been thrown over the fence that separates the park from the highway. I did not see it myself, but multiple workers told me they had seen guests scale the fence to escape as panic increased.

It was the first shooting at Kennywood and the only post-9/11 shooting to ever occur inside an amusement park. Saturday, September 24th will be remembered as the darkest day in Kennywood history since 2002, when a microburst collapsed the Whip pavilion and caused one death. 

At least two shots were fired in front of the Musik Express, injuring the legs of a 39-year-old man and two 15-year-old-boys. The 39-year-old has been treated and released from the hospital, while the two youths are in stable condition. The gunman has not yet been caught.

Costumed characters roamed the park in hopes of frightening visitors, yet another factor was contributing to the pervasive feeling of tension.

“I noticed multiple fights around the park, even before the shots were fired,” one anonymous employee said.

Kennywood does have a chaperone policy that permits minors to enter unaccompanied only before 4:00 PM, but questions about the park’s security screening policies have run rampant. The park installed an Evolv Express security screening system this season in place of traditional metal detectors, yet the old, nonfunctioning metal detectors were also left in place, leading some visitors to assume that they were not being checked at all.

In reality, Kennywood has a thorough screening procedure at its entrance.

“Our entry security protocols include a state-of-the-art weapons detection system, video scanning, and bag checks,” General Manager Mark Pauls said in a statement released Sunday morning. 

At 1:00 AM, a police escort finally led us back into the park. Coming back through the tunnel, we could see the coaster where we had hidden during the worst of the night. The rest of the rides and concessions were in darkness, but its lights were still blazing, just as we had left it.

Also lit up was the Musik Express, the scene of the crime. I could make out police tape and markers placed around evidence on the ground, but by this time, I just wanted to get home. Again, an officer escorted me to my car, and I pulled into my driveway at 2:00 AM, ending the most chaotic day I’ve ever had at work.

Kennywood understands the sudden trauma that the shooting has inflicted on some of its employees. The statement released on Sunday references counseling services available to team members in need. The situation was truly unprecedented, and the effect it will have on the park remains to be seen.

It is a sick blend of irony that an event of such horror could occur at the beginning of Halloween time, all at a place that builds its reputation on lighthearted fun. 

“I never thought anything like this could happen.. but we will move on,” said another employee, who asked to remain nameless.

The park will remain closed until Friday, September 30th.