Haunted house says it ‘screwed up’ with ‘Swastika Saturday’ after Pittsburgh shooting
A Pataskala, Ohio, haunted attraction apologized and pledged to “mend fences” after it hosted a “Swastika Saturday” event hours after 11 people were gunned down in a Pittsburgh synagogue by a man who spread anti-Semitic hate online.
“We screwed up big time. On behalf of the entire Haunted Hoochie staff, we first and foremost extend our sincerest condolences to the families affected by the tragedy in Pittsburgh, and the Jewish communities of the area,” the attraction wrote on its Facebook early Monday morning.
The haunted attraction, also known as Dead Acres, has been operating for 20 years, according to the Haunted House Association website. “Recognized nationally as one of the best, Haunted Hoochie is unquestionably the most-extreme haunted house attraction in the nation,” the website says.
On October 27, the attraction made a post advertising its last night of the season.
“(Git) in free with a haunted hoochie or dead acres logo tattoo for swastika Saturday including all kindsa freaky fun including only flesh live on stage ..hell yeah,” the business wrote in a comment, which sparked a massive wave of backlash on social media.
“Swastika Saturday huh? Thanks for making sure I never visit you again,” Ryan Magree wrote on the Facebook page.
“I am absolutely sickened and disgusted by your acting like this is no big deal, like the lives of those killed under that symbol could be outdated or irrelevant. I need an answer. We, need an answer,” Kristen Marie added.
Haunted Hoochie said it was a tradition for the last day of the season, when the actors paint swastikas on their bodies, Fox 8 reported.
A band from Pittsburgh called “Only Flesh” canceled a scheduled show outside the attraction, saying “We do not condone or promote hate speech or racism in any way and cannot be associated with a place that promotes a ‘swastika Saturday,’” according to the Newark Advocate.
On Saturday afternoon, Haunted Hoochie defended the event on Facebook.
“(It’s) a haunted house, its all about the horrors we face here on earth. We also don’t condone murder, torture, suicide by shotgun, or birth by sledge hammer. We are here to shock and awe and terrify,” the business wrote.
But hours later, around 3 a.m. Sunday, it released a statement of apology, saying they “screwed up.”
“The Haunted Hoochie is a place to escape the true evil in the world through the magic of Halloween theater- NOT perpetuate real evil,” the attraction wrote. “We welcome anyone to our show with open arms- provided you do not bring evil or hatred. We are working with community leaders to mend fences, and pledge our support to the victims with a fifty thousand dollar donation to the tree of life synagogue.”