Normally, we think of theme parks as places of fun and entertainment but, from time to time, that image is broken due to unfortunate events. Sometimes Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights yields an event of actual horror, and the time comes for an investigation into what went wrong. A recent brawl that broke out at Texas’s Kings Island Camp Cedar campground is the latest example of such a happening, due to a man injuring five people on the property -- one of whom was stabbed in the neck.
Conflicting reports from 911 calls painted the scene, where 39-year-old Tudor Lazar apparently took part in a massive fight on the Camp Cedar grounds. One report alleged that the altercation was taking place in the parking lot, while another placed the scene outside of a cabin. Both were reported by WHIO, as well as Lazar’s arrest. Thankfully, none of the victim’s injuries were life threatening, even the neck stabbing, which was the result of Tudor Lazar using a broken bottle as a weapon.
Theme park brawls are not uncommon, as we saw earlier this year with a topless, drunken brawl breaking out at Disneyland, of all places. However, the Camp Cedar fight is a more serious matter than that slap fight, as it yielded the aforementioned stabbing. Though the campground operates independently from Kings Island, the park issued the following statement on the incident:
We are aware of an altercation between multiple parties at Camp Cedar on Saturday evening that resulted in injuries. It is an active investigation and we are fully cooperating with local law enforcement.
In the wake of such events, damage control is key to ensuring the safety of future guests. While Kings Island doesn’t control that property, the powers that be understand that this conflict is still something that could affect the park’s image by association. Turning back how Disneyland would handle such a fight, standard operating procedures like carrying out an investigation, or aiding those who are doing so independently, are always welcome responses.
As the Camp Cedar investigation is currently ongoing, we’ll have to wait and see what sort of updates come from the aftermath. Perhaps this is why parks like Disney World opt for virtual queue experiences when opening attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. While such a method isn't guaranteed to curb any kind of fighting at a particular theme park, one would think that a virtual experience like that would lessen the chance of multiple people fighting in a line.
That’s not to say massive gatherings at the parks always yield dangerous events. There’s always the chance that sweet viral TikTok moments of kindness will result from an hours-long line for a Figment popcorn bucket. As it stands, with no life threatening injuries reported, and an investigation underway, only time will tell what results from the brawl at Kings Island Camp Cedar.
