Kennywood reopens with new security measures in place after triple shooting

An increased police presence and stricter security screenings awaited Kennywood customers Friday night as the amusement park reopened six days after a shooting that wounded three people.

An altercation between two groups of juveniles led to a 39-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy being shot in the leg and another 15-year-old boy suffering a grazing wound Saturday night. A gun found near the shooting scene had been stolen from a vehicle in Columbus, Ohio about a year ago, police said.

It was opening night of Kennywood’s Phantom Fall Fest, a special spooky season on weekends throughout October. The park was closed on Sunday after the incident the previous night.

West Mifflin and Allegheny County Police cars, as well as Kennywood security vehicles, could be seen along the outside fencing and throughout the parking lot for Friday night’s event.

Kennywood doubled the amount of police from previous days. That is expected to become the norm.

“We’re happy to welcome guests back,” said Taylor Bulischeck, Kennywood’s director of marketing. “We had a lot of measures in place on Saturday when the incident occurred. Once something like that happens, we took a step back and looked at all areas that we could make improvements or enhancements. That’s what we did this week.”

The changes were announced Wednesday.

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Enhancements were made along the perimeter of the park. Patrols were also increased inside the park.

The added safety measures were a welcome sight to most who passed through the new weapons detection system at the front gate.

People lined up in two single-file lines and went through a weapons detection system from Massachusetts-based Evolv Technologies. Evolv detectors also are used at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

“We’ve seen a lot of people that are excited to come back to the park,” Bulischeck said. “The crowds that we see coming in right now I think are a really good sign that the communication that we’ve had and the measures that we’ve taken are things that resonate with our guests. We’re hoping that they continue to see that and that they continue to come to the park. We’re always looking to reevaluate and make adjustments as needed.”

He declined to comment on the ongoing police investigation.

The new detection system is not meant to show an alert over common items such as cellphones, keys or jewelry. It also scans purses and bags, so people don’t need to empty such items out of their bags.

If it detects something out of the norm, people are asked to step aside and have their bags checked.

New bag size limit

A new bag policy going into effect this weekend will limit the size of bags to 8 inches by 5 inches by 1 inch, with exceptions made for medical and diaper bags.

Friday night was the first time Michelle Destefano of Elizabeth Township visited the park this year. She brought a fanny pack that barely made the cut. Her bag was checked and searched.

“The first (check) was just for the size of it, making sure the size was fine. And once I came through that area they made me empty it,” Destefano said. “In one sense it makes you feel safe (because) they’re not letting stuff in. On the other hand it makes it hard. I felt that the security was good coming in.

“I wish you could have at least a little bit bigger bag to fit your stuff in it. It wasn’t that big of an inconvenience.

”I think my friends are inconvenienced because they had to walk back to their car for their bigger purse. If you have the right stuff, it took a couple seconds. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Destefano came with a group of friends to celebrate someone’s birthday. The friends said they were excited to be at Kennywood and to have a good time.

Kennywood now prohibits costumes and masks after 6 p.m. The only face coverings allowed after that are for medical purposes.

Aaron Miller of Delmont had to make a quick change after security denied him entry while wearing a Jack Skellington outfit from the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Miller said he was disappointed but understood why security changes were necessary.

“We know three people were injured,” he said. “When people run screaming in a large crowd other people get injured, too, so that’s just the people we know who were injured in the incident. Who knows how many people sprained their ankles or got hurt?

“They’re taking it super serious. You can’t blame them for that. … I came in a costume. It was a onesie with a hood. The main security guy took one look and was like, ‘uh uh.’ I’m a fat man, dude. I don’t want to walk places.”

Miller came to the park with Jeannette couple Tonya Thompson and Kevin Busony. They all love the Halloween atmosphere.

“I actually work at a Spirit Halloween store,” Busony said. “I told all my friends (we were going to Kennywood). They didn’t say, ‘Oh, be careful’ or anything like that. I just had confidence that we’d be safe. I’m glad that we’re safe, but there’s a cost to pay for it.”

Stricter chaperone policy

The park instituted a stricter chaperone policy. Anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult 21 or older at all times. It previously was only enforced in the late afternoons and evenings.

Those with groups of four of more juveniles had to sign in at one of the front entrance booths before coming inside.

Multiple trees along the fence line were cut down to make room for more lighting and security cameras.

Shakera Quire and her wife, Mariah, brought their sons Mychael, 7, and Giovanni, 15, to the park for the first time on Friday. The family had recently moved from Tampa Bay, Fla., to Aliquippa.

They had heard about the shooting incident but were not dismayed.

“It’s shocking, but we’re from Florida,” Shakera Quire said. “We have plenty of theme parks. There are plenty of things that happen. I don’t know what happened here because I wasn’t here and seeing what happened. As far as all the security measures, it’s something we’re used to.

“Back home at our theme parks we have to go through probably a little bit more than they have here. It’s pretty common. It’s actually great, to be honest.”

Mariah Quire said she felt nervous and somewhat at ease at the same time after seeing all the security measures.

“I think anybody normal should feel nervous, especially after something like (the shooting) happened,” she said. “With all the precautions that they put in store today, the many officers that I see in the amusement park, I feel a little more comfortable and a little more at ease. I guess I’ll just see how the rest of the night goes.”

The mothers said Mychael was very excited to be at the park because he recently reached the height of 48 inches — the height required to ride most of the rides.

Debbie Parsons of West Mifflin was at the park the night before the shooting with her daughter. They said they had a great time.

She came back Friday with her son, Jordan, 15, and her aunt, Marci Anderson of North Huntingdon.

Parsons said she hopes the park will be able to enforce the chaperone policy because she has seen juveniles sneak in.

“I’ve seen some kids squeeze in with other families just to get in since I’ve been here so much this summer, and they didn’t have doubts,” she said. “It’s something you can’t control. That is a bit of a concern especially with all the kids fighting with each other.”

Anderson, 70, said the park has changed a lot since she was young.

“I think it’s sad that it has to come to this,” she said. “That you can’t have fun without fear, and to avoid that you have to have it policed.”

Jordan said he hopes the measures stay in place beyond the fall event.

“I think safety is safety,” he said. “If you want more safety you get safety. The less attention to safety, the less safe it’s going to be.”