RPA Managing Partner Rob Peirce was recently interviewed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for an article about the recent shooting at the Kennywood amusement park.
According to police, a chaotic shooting broke out Saturday night during the West Mifflin amusement park’s annual Phantom Fall Fest. Three people were shot, including two juveniles, and others were injured while fleeing the gunfire.
Now, questions are being raised about whether a tighter security presence and coordinated plan for emergencies could have prevented the shooting or the injuries that resulted from the fray.
As reported by the Post-Gazette, many guests in attendance that evening claim that the park was more crowded than usual and that security was minimal. They say large crowds entering in the afternoon were routed around metal detectors, that bag checks were absent or not thorough, and that large groups of teens were running through the park unsupervised.
Given our firm’s experience in personal injury law and our recent filing of a wrongful death lawsuit involving a fatal shooting at a Haunted Hayride event in 2021, the Post-Gazette reached out to Managing Partner Rob Peirce for insight about the legal issues involved.
Mr. Peirce called attention to the conflicting statements between Kennywood management and guests, and how many guests reported seeing large groups of unaccompanied teenagers running through the park despite the park’s policy that guests under 17 be accompanied by someone over 21 when entering after 4 p.m.
“What’s important to note is that having a good policy, having the proper equipment is the first step — but you must have the personnel to enforce the policies and to use the devices that are available in an effective way. Unfortunately, there appears to be conflicting testimony between the policies and what was actually done that night.”
The article goes on to discuss a wrongful death lawsuit filed by our firm against the Haunted Hills Hayride in North Versailles and how the incident led the hayride’s operator to make changes to its security protocol, including adding bag checks, security personnel, and an unaccompanied minor policy. As large crowds gear up for Halloween-themed events over the next month, these two incidents should be a reminder for operators to implement the security measures necessary to protect guests.
You can read the full article featuring quotes from Attorney Rob Peirce here.
Rob Peirce is Managing Partner at Robert Peirce & Associates, where he has helped recover millions of dollars in compensation for victims of negligence. In addition to the recognition he’s earned from peers, Rob is also a trusted legal commentator who is regularly featured on local and national media outlets.