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15-year-old suspect shot after chaos at Six Flags renews youth gun violence concerns

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Updated  March 4, 2024 12:03pm EST
Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta

15-year-old shot near Six Flags on opening day

A number of fights inside Six Flags Over Georgia led to a shootout just outside the property on its opening day. FOX 5 learned that the person shot by officers was a 15-year-old.

AUSTELL, Ga. - Another opening day fiasco at Six Flags Over Georgia escalated. This year, a 15-year-old suspect was critically injured after Cobb County police said he allegedly fired at officers.

"Summer hasn’t even broke yet, and on the first day of the amusement park, someone at 15 gets shot?" local activist Gerald Rose said. "We have all this gun violence going on and I’m just very concerned with where we’re headed."

The incident, now under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, has sparked safety concerns at the park and renewed worries about youth gun violence.

"It’s just the fact that the suspects doing these crimes are younger and younger," Rose said.

Authorities say the 15-year-old was one of several teens running through the park fighting during multiple brawls that broke out.

Absolute chaos Six Flags Over Georgia Opening Day 2024

Park guests reported chaos and panic on opening day at Six Flags Over Georgia. Between 500-600 people ran through the park fighting, leading to an exchange of gunfire right outside the property.

According to the GBI, Cobb County police fired shots after an attempt to remove the group from the property led some of the teens to shoot at police.

Some videos circulating online show parts of the violent encounters while others captured hundreds of park goers scattering for safety at the sound of gunfire.

Many found the reports to be disturbing, including Rose, who serves as president of the New Order National Human Rights Organization. It’s a Georgia-based 501c3 that focuses on social activism.

"We have all this gun violence going on, and I’m just very concerned with where we’re headed," Rose stated. "You’re a teenager. You supposed to be at home playing Atari video games. You out committing adult crimes."

He told FOX 5 he believes more needs to be done, and his organization is ready to join any effort to get the metro Atlanta youth to choose a different path.

It’s still unclear what charges, if any, will be filed against the individuals involved.

A couple who visited the park on opening day suggested more security was needed at the park after claiming they entered without having their bags checked.

Six Flags park officials responded saying: "A few years ago we moved from manual bag checks to Evolv, an advanced security screen system that represents hands off screening technology to detect metals or any other unauthorized objects."

Evolv is the same technology used by a number of school systems in metro Atlanta, and even bigger venues, like Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The statement from Six Flags officials also said, "it is crucial to emphasize that we prioritize safety."