A late-night visit to an abandoned building made famous by the Netflix series Stranger Things ended in tragedy when a 19-year-old girl fell to her death while exploring the restricted site. The building was used as the filming location for Hawkins National Laboratory in the series. The incident occurred on December 19 at the Briarcliff Building on the Briarcliff campus of Emory University in DeKalb County, Georgia.Police identified the victim as Leah Palmirotto. Emergency responders from DeKalb County Police and Fire Rescue were called to the scene and pronounced her dead shortly after arrival. Authorities said she had entered the fenced-off property with friends despite the building being closed to the public and clearly marked with no-trespassing signs.Investigators have said there is no indication of foul play, but the exact cause of the fall remains under investigation. It is not yet clear whether Palmirotto slipped from the roof, lost her footing in the dark or fell through a structurally weakened section of the building, which has been vacant and deteriorating for decades. Emory University police have taken over the investigation.The five-storey structure, often referred to as the Briarcliff Building or Building A, was originally constructed in the 1960s as part of the Georgia Mental Health Institute, a former psychiatric hospital. Although the property was later acquired by Emory University, the building has remained unused and is widely regarded as unsafe due to structural decay, poor lighting and restricted access.In recent years, the site has drawn attention because it was used as Hawkins National Laboratory in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. The building’s eerie appearance made it a natural filming location for the fictional government facility central to the show’s plot, but its pop culture fame has also made it a target for urban explorers and trespassers.Friends told police that Palmirotto and others were exploring the site out of curiosity, a practice safety officials repeatedly warn against. Abandoned buildings pose serious risks, including unstable surfaces, hidden drops and weakened structures, particularly at night.Palmirotto’s father has spoken publicly about his daughter’s death, describing her as adventurous, outgoing and full of life. While expressing his grief, he urged others to stay away from abandoned and restricted buildings, warning that the dangers are often not obvious until it is too late. Friends and family have remembered her as a kind and vibrant young woman, and a vigil is being planned in her honour.The incident has renewed discussion about the real-world dangers associated with abandoned filming locations linked to popular television shows. While Stranger Things has used multiple sites across Georgia, there has been no public comment from Netflix regarding the death. Police say the investigation into the circumstances of the fall is ongoing.
