Man Who Shot South Carolina Haunted House Performer After Getting Scared Claims He Thought Gun Was Prop

A man shot a performer at the Hollywood Wax Museum Haunted House in South Carolina over the weekend with a weapon he said he thought was a prop gun, NBC News reports. 

Keal Latrell Brown, 39, was joined by several individuals who visited the haunted house on Saturday. At one point, a person in the group fell to the ground after being frightened by the performer and Brown told investigators he felt a gun knock against his foot. Thinking it was a prop gun and part of the performance, he “picked it up and fired twice,” striking the victim in the shoulder. 

Brown was arrested Tuesday and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor “for knowingly giving the gun used in the shooting to a minor,” according to police. WMBF reports the charge stems from Brown giving the gun to his 15-year-old child after being informed that the weapon was real. Detectives are still trying to figure out who the firearm belonged to and how it ended up inside the haunted house. 

The performer spoke at Brown’s bond hearing and said he hasn’t been able to go back to work since the incident and doesn’t know when he will return. The victim claims he remembers Brown looking at him before he fired the weapon and continues to have trouble sleeping at night. 

Brown has been released on a $25,000 bond. According to ABC News, additional charges are likely. 

Kuvera Partners, the company behind the Hollywood Wax Museum Haunted House, had “no comment” in regards to what it called an “unfortunate experience.”