By: Savannah Adams

Sept. 24th, 2022: Over the weekend, Kennywood had its 20th annual Phantom Fall Fest where shots were fired. Two teenagers and one adult were injured while one teenager was killed. Chaos ensued following the incident causing many guests to be trampled on as they tried to flee from the park. Investigators are still searching for the shooter whom they believe to be a young black teen who was wearing a black sweatshirt and a COIVD-19 style mask.

Many of the park visitors have been asking how a gun could have gotten into the park, to begin with. While some people were going through security, the majority of people were guided around the metal detectors. On top of that, most people say that they were not bag-checked when they entered the park. Some people think the shooter just walked in with his gun on his person. Others think the gun was thrown over a fence. While police do not know what gun was used to fire in the park, they found one close to the scene that had been stolen nearly a year prior.

Right before the shooting occurred, one of the victims noticed a large group of unaccompanied teenagers loitering by the Musik Express. Out of this group emerged two young men who were fighting and showing each other. They ran into the 39-year-old victim and then shots were fired. The 39-year-old was shot in the leg while two teenage visitors were also shot. All three of the flesh wound victims have been treated and are in stable condition.

Many visitors are worried about how people’s views of the beloved park will change because of this incident. Several children who witnessed the act of violence are struggling to sleep at night and try to find comfort with their parents. After watching people get shot, there was a mad rush to escape the park and many children watched people run in fear of their lives. People were being sent to first aid when they arrived at the exit before they were allowed to leave, making people even more panicked.

Visitors of the park are worried if security will be improved for the rest of Phantom Fall Fest or if the park will keep the current security measures in place. This leaves people questioning if they are going to attend the annual festival or if they will choose to reside safely in their homes. That being said, there is no telling what might happen at an annual event that people love to attend.