'Stranger Things' Tragedy: Woman, 19, Plunges Off Psychiatric Hospital Where Popular Netflix Show Was Filmed After 'Climbing Over a Fence' to Get on the Property
Leah Palmirotto died after falling from the roof of a location made famous on 'Stranger Things'
Dec. 22 2025, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
A teenager has died after falling from a building that was used as a central location for the Netflix hit Stranger Things, RadarOnline.com can report.
The 19-year-old and her friends reportedly snuck onto the abandoned building on the campus of Emory University in Georgia, which had been featured on the supernatural show as "Hawkins National Laboratory."
Leah Palmirotto Was Pronounced Dead at the Scene
The 19-year-old was declared dead at the scene.
According to reports, Leah Palmirotto was part of a group that climbed over a chain-link fence surrounding the property. They made their way up to the roof of the five-story structure shortly before 1 a.m. last Friday, when Leah is said to have fallen.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Briarcliff Building was a former psychiatric hospital built in the 1960s that is fenced off and expected to be torn down to make space for a senior living facility.
The building was closed to the public. It is widely known as a filming location on campus and has appeared in other productions, such as The Vampire Diaries, as well.
A Father's Warning
The Emory University building was used as 'Hawkins National Laboratory' on the show.
As investigators continue to piece together what caused her to fall, Palmirotto's father had a warning for others.
"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," Todd Palmirotto Jr. told Fox 5 in Atlanta.
He added he prayed that her final moments were peaceful.
"I'm just hoping it was instant," he said. "I just hope she felt no pain."
A GoFundMe Has Been Set Up
It is set to be torn down, and was fenced off to the public.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe, which has raised a little over $2,000 in the first few days since the tragedy. On the site's appeal, Tom Cavanaugh writes: "As much as it pains me to write this, our dear friends lost their beloved daughter, Leah Madyson Palmirotto, early the morning of December 19, 2025, in a tragic accident.
"Just doing stuff that normal 19-year-old kids do ended up in pure devastation.
"I am writing this fundraiser to ask for your help for her funeral/memorial costs, as well as helping the family get through this difficult time."
Her Family is 'Heartbroken'
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The hit show is currently in the middle of its final season.
"If you can give, please do. If you cannot, please share," the note continued.
"Leah had an affinity for cars and photography. She loved exploring and photographing abandoned buildings. She adored car shows and went to several every week to peruse the cars and photograph them for the owners.
"She was a beautiful and vibrant young lady originally from Florida who lived for the beach and outdoors. She was always the popular kid in school and got along with everybody.
"Her family is left absolutely heartbroken.
"She is survived by her father, Todd, mother, Katie, and brothers Devan and Lucca."
Stranger Things was filmed in several locations throughout Georgia.
