Many thrill seekers frequent amusement parks for a good scare, but not even the bravest dare devil could prepare for the fright that took place at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park on Friday when a man committed suicide.

Officials say that the ex-boyfriend of an employee at the park shot himself Friday afternoon in an area designated for smokers behind the Despicable Me ride and fun zone, which is the newest attraction at the park. Fortunately, the incident was out of the view of many parkgoers, but children and families were still nearby.

Although no one else was hurt, a number of security questions have been raised about how the man managed to bring a loaded gun into the park. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), security personnel at the park are only required to check bags and purses.

"The security measures that are in place right now don't include pat-downs and don't include wanding or metal detectors. They do include checking purses and bags," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Eddie Hernandez said, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Investigators said the man's estranged girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child, filed two restraining orders against him following two prior incidents at the park, including one about a week ago when he vandalized her car in a parking lot, said Hernandez, reports The Associated Press.

Once she saw him around 2 p.m. Friday, she notified security, and a deputy who recognized the man from a previous encounter approached him.

"This individual stood up, turned around, retrieved a handgun from his back pocket or somewhere in his back area," the lieutenant said.

The deputy said the man pulled the trigger 30 about seconds later, despite the deputy's effort to talk him out of it.

Following the tragedy, one park guest named Erin Dolan told CBS that the employees declined to disclose details about the incident.

"They were just very general so it makes sense now that they were obviously not wanting to broadcast that. There would probably be mayhem. There's so many people in that park right now," said Dolan.