Kenny wood park shooting today: What happened? Suspect & Motive Explained

In response to reported gunfire at West Mifflin’s Kenny wood Park, Pittsburgh police claimed they were on the scene. Let’s see regarding the Kenny wood park shooting today and what happened in detail

What happened in Kenny wood park today?

Early on Sunday morning, police reported that several persons had been shot inside Kenny wood Park in West Mifflin late on Saturday night. Police described as “trample injuries” in their scramble to escape the gunfire. Three persons were shot inside the park in the “Lost Kenny wood” section by the Music Express ride, according to Allegheny County Police. 

According to county police superintendent Christopher Kearns, the shootings took place in front of the Musik Express ride in the Lost Kennywood section of the park at about 10:50 p.m. as a result of “an incident” between two groups of young men.

County superintendent Christopher Kearns confirms that 3 were injured by gunfire at Kennywood Saturday night. Victims include a 15 year old boy in stable condition, a 39 year old male who has been treated & released & a juvenile male receiving treatment. pic.twitter.com/toFvsJc4qO

— Hannah Wyman (@Hannah_SWyman) September 25, 2022

What happened to the victims?

There are three victims affected by the shooting. A 15-year-old child was shot and is recovering at Children’s Hospital, and a second adult male was shot, treated, and then released. 

A third victim of gunfire arrived at McKee sport Hospital on their own and is receiving medical attention. 

Who was the suspect?

Supt. Kearns stated that a young Black guy was wanted in connection with the incident. 

The suspect, according to him, was donning a black sweatshirt and a black surgical mask.

People were being screened with metal detectors as they entered the park; according to the police, they are unsure of how the shooter managed to get his weapon past the security.

On Saturday night, the park was being patrolled by five county police officers, two West Mifflin cops, and internal security from Kennywood, according to police.

West Mifflin Police chief Greg McCulloch said his officers helped one of the shooting victims and called for backup to assist with the others. He also said his officers helped to escort guests out of the park.

Reports of the shootings resulted in a massive police turnout, with officers arriving at the sprawling amusement park from many departments countywide.

County police initially said there was “an incident” at the park. A later tweet from the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department said city officers were assisting in a response to shots fired.

Ongoing Police investigation 

Police reported that they found one pistol on the Kennywood grounds. When a “mass casualty event” was announced, EMS teams from all around Allegheny and Westmoreland counties were dispatched to the park. Together with West Mifflin Police, the Allegheny County Police are conducting the investigation.

Kenny wood Park statement 

Kenny wood Park released the following statement early Sunday morning:

“The park is closed for the night and all guests have exited. We are aware of a situation that occurred this evening and working with local law enforcement. The safety of our guests and Team Members is our top priority. Members of the park’s security, Allegheny County, and West Mifflin police departments were already on site and immediately responded.”

Who was Susan Koeppen?

Susan Koeppen is the anchor of Channel 11 News at 4 PM. At 5:00 PM, she hosts the Breaking News Desk for Channel 11 News. Susan is a well-known and distinguished journalist. She has received three Gracie Allen Awards and nine Emmy Awards, among other accolades.

Susan was waiting in the parking lot when she heard two gunshots. She said a nearby father told his children to run at that point.

I took this pictures moments after hearing gunshots at Kennywood. I heard pop pop and called my son and told him to run. pic.twitter.com/OoowiS3wbL

— susan koeppen (@susankoeppen) September 25, 2022

Susan made a call to her son, who followed her and rushed into her car. She claimed that several kids she had never met before entered her car merely to find sanctuary.

#kennywood Two shots were fired as park was getting ready to close and lots of families were in parking lot for pick up. Witnesses said they ran, some hopped fences to escape and left their belongings behind. pic.twitter.com/un0ZvfIUvK

— susan koeppen (@susankoeppen) September 25, 2022

What did people admit about the scene of chaos?

People in the park described a scene of chaos as parents and kids scurried for the exits as news of the gunfire spread.

According to police reports from around 12:40 a.m. Only a few people were still outside waiting for rides out of the area. Everyone inside the park had been evacuated. Employees of Kennywood reported they had been instructed not to speak to reporters about the event as they left the park.

This past weekend marked the start of the renowned Phantom Fall Fest at Kennywood, which regularly draws a sizable audience to the amusement park. Police officers could be seen early on Sunday in front of the Musik Express ride, which had incident tape strung, evidence markers set up, and a pair of sunglasses lying on the ground.

What did Tasha Pokrzywa state about the Kenny wood park shooting?

Tasha Pokrzywa, the communication manager for Kennywood, issued the following statement at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday: “The park is closed for the night and all visitors have left. We are working with local law authorities on an incident that happened this evening.

Our first focus is ensuring the safety of both our visitors and staff. Police officers from West Mifflin, Allegheny County, and the park’s security team were already present and arrived right away. By 1:30 a.m., the majority of the emergency personnel and responding police had dispersed, and according to the police, they were letting workers back into the park one at a time to retrieve their items.

Valerie Franklin, a Duquesne resident, waited at the entrance for her son Brandon, who is 19 years old, as the inquiry within the park continued. She claimed that he had just begun working at Kennywood. At around 11 p.m. on Saturday, Ms. Franklin claimed she was listening to her police scanner when she overheard a call about a person in the park with a gun. She stated, “I was terrified and contacted him right soon,” adding that when Brandon picked up the phone, he informed her that he had heard gunshots and saw people fleeing.
She remarked, “I pray for the children and the people being transported.

West Mifflin resident Ward Troetschel claimed to have arrived at Kennywood for the Phantom Fall Fest at 9:45 p.m. He recalled seeing “far too many unaccompanied adolescents” at the time. Also, he claimed that he left the park at 10:30 p.m. because of the belligerent behavior of young people who “were trying to start fights.”

He claimed that groups of at least 100 people sprinted past him twice or three times as he departed. The scene, according to Mr. Troetschel, was “quite chaotic.” The park closes on Sunday and reopens on Friday.

A notice on the park’s website states that anyone who purchased a Fall Fest ticket for Sunday may use it on any other Fall Fest night. Police were going to use surveillance footage from the park, according to Supt. Kearns, to help with their investigation.

Call the county police tip line at 833-255-8477 if you have any information on the shootings, he said.

Stay tuned for updates as new data becomes available.

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