Mom of Wilmerding teen killed at haunted attraction files lawsuit against business

Nearly a year after her son was killed at the Haunted Hills Hayride in North Versailles, Shantel Pizaro continues to look for answers.

With no arrests, Pizaro on Friday filed a lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court against the business, hoping that it will help reveal who killed her son, Steven Eason Jr.

Eason, 15, of Wilmerding, was shot and killed at the hayride, owned by BB Production Co., on Sept. 11, 2021.

He and his sister had gone to the venue on Mosside Boulevard around 8 p.m. and met a group of friends, said attorney Robert Peirce, who represents Pizaro.

According to the lawsuit, the hayride had been a seasonal attraction in that area for about 22 years.

Eason’s twin sister, Shanise, got on an earlier hayride. While he waited for another ride, a fight broke out among a group of teens. Steven Eason, who was not involved, tried to break it up, Peirce said.

He was shot twice in the chest and stomach and died a short time later. Another boy, a student at Penn Hills High School, also was shot but recovered.

Allegheny County Police said the investigation remains open and active.

The family has met multiple times with law enforcement and continues to cooperate in the investigation, Peirce said.

“The family’s goal is find out what happened, but more importantly, prevent another family from going through what they’ve gone through for the last year,” he said.

The hayride shut down for two weeks after the shooting, and when it reopened, it had added some security measures, Peirce said, including hiring security guards and doing a bag and pocket search. In addition, anyone under the age of 16 had to be accompanied by an adult.

“It is our belief that had these simple procedures been put in place prior to Sept. 11, 2021, Steven would not have passed away,” Peirce said. “Simple steps, simple security can help all of us.”

The lawsuit includes claims for negligence — for the business’s failure to implement any security measures, including video surveillance cameras — and wrongful death.

Steven Eason was a sophomore student-athlete at Pittsburgh’s Central Catholic High School. His mom said he played baseball, football, basketball and track.

“Steven was a great kid,” Pizaro said.

Since his death, she said she has been overwhelmed by the amount of love she’s seen for her son.

“It’s heartwarming,” she said. “It’s a blessing to know he was loved by other people as much as I loved him — which shows the impact he had on this world.”

Pizaro said she’s proud of her son for stepping in that night to break up the fight.

“Sometimes I wish he didn’t, because maybe he’d still be here,” she said. “My son made the ultimate sacrifice anyone could make to try to save someone else.”

A phone number listed for the business was not in service. Emailed messages requesting comment were not immediately returned.

Its website said the attraction would open for the season at 7 p.m. Sept. 23.