He was shot while playing a zombie at Myrtle Beach tourist attraction. Now he’s suing
An actor paid to scare visitors at a popular Myrtle Beach tourist attraction was shot earlier this year when a customer reportedly picked up a real gun and believed it was a prop.
That employee is now suing the company responsible for managing the Hollywood Wax Museum alleging negligence in allowing the gun onto the premises and creating an atmosphere where such a mistake could occur.
The victim was an actor within the facility’s “Outbreak” exhibit, which depicts a world where a pathogen outbreak has created a population of zombies, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiff’s job was to portray a zombie and scare guests.
The actor’s performance in April frightened a group, leading to a boy falling down and a scramble that caused a gun to slide into a North Charleston man’s foot, according to a police report.
Keal Latrell Brown told police he believed the gun was a prop when he fired it twice, hitting the zombie actor once in the shoulder, the report states. Brown was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor after knowingly giving the gun to a minor and fleeing the scene. A juvenile is also facing undisclosed charges related to the shooting, according to Myrtle Beach Police.
As part of the “Outbreak” exhibit, there are fake guns behind a glass display case, which the actor now alleges could lead guests to believe prop guns would be used as part of the attraction.
“When people are scared by unknown things, it is foreseeable they will protect themselves under the illusion the attraction is real,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit is against Kuvera Partners, which is the third-party contractor tasked with managing the wax museum. A spokeswoman for Kuvera declined to comment on the shooting, citing the pending litigation.
The lawsuit notes that Kuvera placed signs outside the complex stating no concealed weapons were allowed, but alleges the company did nothing to actually detect of prevent people from bringing weapons inside such as the use of a metal detector.
The actor’s physical condition is unknown, but he suffered “severe and debilitating injuries,” according to the complaint.
This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
