A trip to a building featured on Stranger Things ended in tragedy. A woman fell to her death after visiting the abandoned building.
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For five seasons, the building on Emory University’s Briarcliff campus appeared as Hawkins Lab in the hit Netflix series. On December 19, a woman fell to her death after trespassing at the building.
DeKalb County police responded to the tragedy, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. A witness described the aftermath of the death. “We just came here this morning and thought, oh, they must be filming something for the show,” said Sara Rhiel.
“That’s really, really sad,” Jessee Rhiel also said. “It’s got to be devastating for the family.”
‘Stranger Things’ Building
The building is scheduled for demolition. But it remains popular for fans of Stranger Things. “Areas that allowed people to feel less inclined to go to areas that are not permitted,” Jessee Rhiel said.
Signs warned against trespassing in the building. According to authorities, the group climbed over a chain length fence to get to the five-story building. The woman reportedly fell from the roof.
In a statement, an Emory spokesperson wrote in part: “There are signs on the property advising people not to enter and warning them not to trespass. Emory is enhancing security at the site.”
Police identified the deceased as 19-year-old Leah Palmirotto. Police are continuing their investigation of the death.
In 2022, officials announced they were tearing down the building to construct a senior living facility. However, they haven’t tore it down yet. In addition to featuring as Hawkins Lab on Stranger Things, the building also appeared in The Vampire Diaries as well.
In real life, the building was constructed in the 1960s. It served as the Georgia Mental Health Institute psychiatric hospital. However, Emory University bought it in the 1990s.
In 2022, it was reported that the abandoned hospital off Briarcliff Road would be torn down to make space for a senior living facility, 11 Alive reported. However, it remains intact.