The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has shut down "A Haunting in Hollis". This haunted house, described as a "death trap", located in Queens, received numerous complaints throughout the year. A 33-year-old woman, Solainne Moncer-Tannis, alleged in a lawsuit that she broke her two ankles in the haunted house.
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Just two weeks after getting married, Solainne visited "A Haunting in Hollis" in October 2023. During her visit, she went down Satan's Slope. The 20-foot slide broke both of her ankles after she landed on concrete while being completely in the dark. Reportedly, another person suffered the same fate before. Solainne needed to undergo surgery and she has struggled with her recovery.
"It's been very difficult for me, psychologically, emotionally, and physically," Lorraine said, according to the New York Post. "To this day, I have difficulty navigating stairs, and day-to-day activities are not the same for me."
A Haunting House, Shut Down
Solainne filed a lawsuit on October 2, 2024, in Queens Supreme Court. Just three days later, on October 5, the city ordered the haunted house, a home owned by Janette and Lataya Carter, to be fully vacated. At the time, there were 40 guests inside the house.
When inspecting the haunted house, Tom Currao, FDNY Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention, was stunned to see what he found. "The interior arrangement was totally changed so that anybody in there, in case of an emergency, would have a very hard time getting out," Currao said.
He added: "We want folks to enjoy the holiday and kids to have a good time, but this had really all the makings of a very, very dangerous situation." Currao even mentioned that "A Haunting in Hollis" reminded him of the Haunted Castle fire back in 1984, which killed eight teenagers.
FDNY Commissioner, Robert Tucker, also addressed the haunted house closure. "We want everyone to enjoy Halloween, it's a great, great holiday, I have children, but we want them to do it safely, and that is a death trap that we came upon," he said.
Multiple people have filed lawsuits against "A Haunting in Hollis" for the past years. The haunted house, which opened in 2002, remains closed. Both Janette and Lataya Carter have yet to publicly address the closure and the allegations.