Police working to figure out how gun got into Kennywood
WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. (KDKA) - The shooting inside Kennywood over the weekend continues to bring up safety concerns inside the park.
Allegheny County police have not yet given an answer as to how the gun got inside but said they are looking at all possibilities. They are also still unsure if the gun found in the park was used in the shooting. They are waiting on test results to come back.
Saturday was supposed to be a fun-filled night. Don Orkoskey and his wife were on their way out and saw a teen run into another teen. That's when he saw one of them throw a punch, and the next thing he knew, there was gunfire.
"Once my wife and I realized it was gunfire we retreated back," Orkoskey said.
After a few seconds, they tried to get to the exit. They saw police already treating the victims.
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"There were already parents calling for their kids. I remember there was a woman by the Musik Express yelling for her daughter," Orkoseky said through Zoom.
How did that gun get in the park? One of the scenarios that investigators have not ruled out is if someone jumped over the fence, which is about 8 feet tall. Or they could pass the gun through gates along Kennywood Boulevard, and there is a gate just feet away from where police say the shooting happened.
"There's already countless police in the park. Why they're not having those gates guarded and watched is beyond me," Orkosekey said.
Even a few minutes after the shooting, Orkoseky saw some rides still running as if nothing happened.
"There was plenty of time that the Kangaroo should not have been still running,"
As he and his wife went to the exit, there were mixed messages from officers. Some told them to go back into the park to other exits while other officers told them to use the main exit.
"I tried to keep calm until we made it out of there and made it home. The next morning, we didn't sleep well, my wife or I," Orkoseky said.
Once outside, they saw the chaos continue into the parking lots as groups looked for each other.
KDKA reached out to Kennywood to see if they had any updates, especially with the park opening to guests again on Friday. They expect to have more to say on the shooting tomorrow.
Stay with KDKA-TV and KDKA.com for updates to this developing story as they become available.