Haunted Hills Hayride in North Versailles to remain closed this weekend

The Haunted Hills Hayride will be closed this weekend, following a fatal shooting at the North Versailles attraction’s opening night on Saturday.

Initially, the operators of the Hayride said they would be open this weekend, but they reversed course following a team meeting on Thursday, they said in a Facebook post.

Messages left with Haunted Hills Hayride were not immediately returned.

Steven Eason, 15, of Wilkinsburg, was shot and killed at the Moss Boulevard hayride about 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. Another teen, who attends Penn Hills High School, was critically wounded.

No arrests have been made.

According to police, Eason was with a group of friends who casually knew the other boy. When that teen got in a confrontation with the suspected shooter, Eason and his friends tried to help him.

According to the Haunted Hills Hayride Facebook page, it hosted a tribute to Eason, a Central Catholic High School student, on Thursday evening.

“Powerful prayers were presented bringing about an atmosphere of pure positive energy,” the post said.

“After a team meeting today, it has been decided that the Haunted Hills Hayride will not be open on Friday, Sept. 17th nor Saturday, Sept. 18th. We look forward to resuming our regular schedule on Sept. 24.”

The incident led to barring of fans amid concerns of further violence at some WPIAL football games this weekend, including Penn Hills-Woodland Hills and Clairton-Leechburg.

“It’s directly related to the unresolved crime in the community, the Haunted Hills Hayride shooting,” Clairton Superintendent Ginny Hunt said this week of the joint decision by the districts to move the game and bar fans.