US Teen Dies After Falling From Building Featured In Stranger Things

A 19-year-old girl died after falling from the roof of a five-storey abandoned building in US, which was used as a filming location for Netflix's Stranger Things.

The accident happened just before 1 am on December 19 on Emory University's Briarcliff campus in Atlanta, Georgia. Once part of a psychiatric hospital, the building also appeared in The Vampire Diaries.

Authorities said the property was fenced off, closed to the public, and clearly marked with "No Trespassing" signs. Despite this, the girl, identified as Leah Palmirotto, entered the premises with friends after allegedly climbing over a chain-link fence, according to People.

Friends told police that Leah and others were inside the building out of curiosity.

The building, known as Building A, was originally built in the 1960s as part of the Georgia Mental Health Institute. Emory University bought it in the 1990s. Although it was supposed to be demolished in 2022 to make way for a senior living facility, the structure is still standing.

Reports state that Leah might have slipped, lost her footing in the dark, or stepped on a weak part of the building. Since Emory University bought the structure, it has never been used and is considered unsafe due to structural decay, poor lighting, and restricted access.

The building has unstable floors, hidden drops, and is considered dangerous, especially at night, due to its weak structure. The site became famous in recent years because it was used as Hawkins National Laboratory in Stranger Things. Its eerie appearance and run-down look made it perfect for the show's plot.

Leah's father Todd Palmirotto Jr has described his daughter as adventurous, outgoing, and full of life. When officers informed him about Leah's death, he said, "She was perfect. I just, I was blown away. I just wasn't sure."

"I'm hoping it was instant. I hope she felt no pain," her father said, adding that her death will be especially difficult for her two brothers.

While sharing his grief, her father warned others to stay away from abandoned or restricted buildings. "Going to these places is dangerous, being with people that you really don't know, like we just kind of always had something in the back of our mind that something could happen," he stated.

Leah's friends and family remember her as a kind and lively young woman. Emory University police are investigating the cause of her death.