CINCINNATI — With Halloween right around the corner, The Dent Schoolhouse is reaffirming its commitment to fun and safety three weeks into its operations after an incident last year.
In September 2024, shots were fired during the haunted house's opening weekend. Police did not report any injuries in connection with what happened, but several shell casings were found in the roadway near The Dent Schoolhouse, in the 6000 block of Harrison Avenue.
"One of the most proactive things we want to do is be a positive community force. We want folks, even the ones who want to engage in those sorts of behaviors, to see us and go, 'not here'," Terry Rook, who's worked for the attraction since 2010, said. "We've taken some real measures safety-wise."
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Rook also pointed out that the incident took place down the road from the haunted house, not on the site, and marked the first time something of that nature happened near the operation.
"You're never going to fully prevent anything from happening," Rook said. "All we can do is do our best to deter it."
This season, the attraction brought back its chaperone policy, which it initially instituted after the incident in 2024. Under the policy, children 15-years-old and younger are required to be accompanied by a chaperone over the age of 21 at The Dent Schoolhouse.
"They won't be admitted on property if they don't have that, and IDs are checked at the admissions gate," Rook said.
A chaperone can accompany as many as five guests ages 15 or younger per night and must accompany their party while in line for the attraction. According to the policy, the chaperone doesn't have to go inside The Dent Schoolhouse with those they're accompanying, but they must remain on the property until the entire party has exited the building.
This season, the attraction has also expanded its law enforcement and security detail, Rook said, and brought metal detectors to the site.
"All guests coming in, they're screened. They walk through a metal detector. All their items are screened," Rook said. "We've told them no weapons, and already this year, we've had people that have a firearm or knives or pepper spray, which they're fine to carry with them on their person elsewhere, not here."
The Dent Schoolhouse is open through Nov. 8 of this year, according to its website. It will also host a special one-weekend haunted event on Dec. 12 and 13 known as "A Christmas Nightmare."
