Juvenile shot, injured at North Carolina haunted house; another juvenile in custody

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Authorities arrested a juvenile early Sunday following a shooting that left another juvenile injured in the parking lot of Woods of Terror, a haunted house in Greensboro, according to multiple reports.

In a news release obtained by WGHP, officials with Woods of Terror said the shooting happened as the last of the haunted house’s customers were leaving Sunday.

“From what we could tell and what the sheriff’s department told us, there were two gunshots fired into the air, and two landed in nearby fencing while another hit one of our customers,” the business' owner, Eddie McLaurin, said in the news release. “We were told that the victim and alleged shooter are both juveniles.”

Before the shooting, employees working in the parking lot said they saw a vehicle come in after closing. A person in the vehicle opened fire before the vehicle left, prompting people to seek cover amid the vehicles left in the parking lot, WXII-TV reported.

The shooting, which took about 45 seconds, happened while around 50 customers and 60 staff members and characters were on the premises, company officials said.

Within about 35 seconds, staff members began tending to the victim, who officials said appeared to have a minor gunshot wound to the cheek. McLaurin said that after staff members cleaned the wound, it appeared to stop bleeding. The victim called his mother before being taken to a hospital by ambulance, WXII reported.

The victim was treated and released from the hospital, according to WGHP.

Police later found the gunman, who was not identified, about three miles away, company officials said.

According to Woods of Terror officials, the shooting was the first crime reported at the haunted house in the 29 years it’s been in business.

“Our entire staff is (devastated) by this crime because we love every one of our customers, and we strive to maintain the highest of safety and security standards for every one of our guests,” McLaurin said. “We take guest safety very seriously -- and have since day one.”

Cox Media Group