Man Stabbed at Haunted House by a Friend Who Was Handed a Real Knife by Someone Wearing a Costume
A group of friends knew they were in for a scare when they planned to visit Nashville Nightmare Haunted House, however, what they didn’t know is that the night would end with one of them in a hospital bed recovering from a stab wound.
Last Friday, James “Jay” Yochim and three of his pals hit up the terrifying attraction in Madison, Tennessee, which consists of four separate haunted houses, an escape room, carnival games and food vendors.
“Halloween is, ask any of my friends, my favorite time of the year,” Yochim told The Tennessean. “I go all out for decorating. I watch a horror movie every day. I get really excited about going to haunted houses.”
After exploring the haunted house, Yochim and his group came across a man, who they believed was an employee dressed in character as the attraction was filled with staff members in scary costumes. Yochim explained to The Tennessean the man then allegedly handed his friend Tawnya Greenfield a knife and told her to stab Yochim.
Being that Yochim and his friends were “chased by chainsaws, holding other weapons, all kinds of stuff all night, and it was all fake,” Greenfield took the knife and stabbed him thinking it was also a prop.
Nashville Metro Police said, according to Fox 17, that Greenfield told authorities she said “ha, ha gotcha,” truly believing it was all a part of the attraction. However, she quickly realized it wasn’t a joke.
Yochim’s “arm was gushing blood like something out of a horror scene,” Greenfield told Fox 17. The outlet also reported there was blood on the knife and a hole in Yochim’s shirt.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Yochim was immediately taken to Skyline Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He and his friends all explained the same story to authorities.
Thankfully, the knife didn’t hit any major arteries, but it did require nine stitches, according to The Tennessean.
Yochim said the man apologized saying, “I didn’t know my knife was that sharp.”
Nashville Nightmare did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request to comment, but told Fox 17 and The Tennessean that the suspect may, in fact, have been an employee as attendees are prohibited from bringing weapons inside.
“We are still confirming the facts, but I can tell you that on Friday night, a male patron was injured by a fellow patron outside the Nashville Nightmare house. Our medical staff responded immediately, and the injured party was transported to the hospital where we understand that he was treated and released,” a spokesperson for Nashville Nightmare Haunted House said in a statement.
RELATED: We Tried It: Halloween Horror Nights
“We have robust safety and security protocols in place, including metal detectors and onsite medical and security staffs,” the statement continued.
“As we have continued to review the information, we believe that an employee was involved in some way, and he has been placed on leave until we can determine his involvement. We are going over all of our safety protocols with all of our staff again, as the safety and security of all of our patrons is always our main concern. We have not been contacted by the police, but we will cooperate fully with any official investigation.”
According to The Tennessean, no charges have been filed at this time. Fox 17 says the Nashville Metro Police are not further investigating the incident as it has been ruled an accidental stabbing.
