A Georgia father is issuing a heartfelt warning about the perils of exploring abandoned structures following the tragic death of his 19-year-old daughter in Atlanta.
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, Leah Palmirotto, aged 19, tragically lost her life after falling from a height of five stories at the deserted Emory’s Briarcliff campus building located at 1256 Briarcliff Road. The incident unfolded early on Friday morning.
DeKalb County police noted that the accident occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Palmirotto and her companions had climbed over a chain-link fence that enclosed the site. Responders who arrived at the scene confirmed that Palmirotto had passed away.
Recognized as one of the filming sites for the popular series “Stranger Things,” the building served as the fictional Hawkins National Laboratory.
Her father, Todd Palmirotto Jr., expressed his concerns, stating, “Exploring these places poses significant dangers, especially when accompanied by people you may not know well. We always had a nagging feeling that something unfortunate could occur.”
According to Atlanta’s 11Alive News, in 2022, authorities announced plans to demolish the building, known as “Building A,” to construct an assisted living facility. However, the project has yet to come to fruition.
Building A had once been the home to the Georgia Mental Health Institute psychiatric hospital, according to WTOC 11. In the 1990s, Emory University bought the structure and, in 2024, vacated it.
The building was one of 40 structures that the school had reportedly rented out to filmmakers.
An investigation remains active, according to police.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help the family with funeral and burial expenses.
[Feature Photo via GoFundMe]
