Cops: Frightened Patron Shot Haunted House Performer

A haunted house performer in South Carolina was shot Saturday for doing his job: scaring people, police say. The performer at the Zombie Experience at the Hollywood Wax Museum Haunted House in Myrtle Beach had scared a group of visitors before he was struck with a bullet to the shoulder, reports the New York Daily News. The suspected shooter fled the scene and was later apprehended in Charleston, Myrtle Beach Police wrote on Facebook. Officers said 39-year-old Keal Latrell Brown claimed to have shot the employee with a gun that he believed to be fake and part of the experience.

Brown told police that the group fell to the ground in fright, at which point he felt a gun at his feet. He said he grabbed it and fired two shots, believing it was a prop. Police have charged Brown with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, alleging he knowingly gave the gun to a 15-year-old boy after the fact, per the Daily News. They are still investigating where the gun came from, but say additional charges are likely. The victim spoke at Brown's bond hearing Wednesday, saying the shooter looked at him before firing. The man also said he can't sleep, per the AP. Brown’s bond was set at $25,000 due to past offenses, including failures to appear, per WPDE. (More shooting stories.)