Opening day at Six Flags turns violent with brawls erupting inside the park and a shooting outside its gates 

Opening day at Six Flags Over Georgia took a violent turn as brawls erupted inside the park, leading to a shooting outside in a nearby parking area. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), a 15-year-old remains in critical condition after being shot by a Cobb County police officer. The GBI has taken over the investigation, revealing that the minor was armed, and a handgun was recovered near them. The agency said no officers were injured.

The incident unfolded on Saturday evening when Cobb County police were called to assist Six Flags Over Georgia security in managing a large and unruly crowd of 500 to 600 people within the park. Numerous fights had broken out near the park’s entrance as the crowd was leaving.

Cobb County officers pursued the crowd onto Six Flags Parkway, where an unknown number of suspects fired at the officers. In the exchange of gunfire, one person, identified as a 15-year-old, was hit and is in critical condition at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Eyewitnesses described the unsettling scenes of people running and fighting and expressed concerns about the safety of park goers. They called for stricter security measures, suggesting the presence of more real officers to deter unruly behavior.

The chaotic situation prompted the GBI to clarify that the gunshots were fired off park property, in the area of nearby South Service Road.

Six Flags emphasized its commitment to providing safe and fun entertainment, mentioning their security measures, metal detection, and collaboration with Cobb County Police. Park officials released a statement saying, “Our goal is to provide safe, fun entertainment. We employ state of the art security systems and metal detection, maintain a robust and vigilant Public Safety Department, and have strong support from Cobb County Police who are present both inside and outside the park. Every guest is expected to follow our strict code of conduct and anyone unwilling to follow that code of conduct is unwelcome.”

Once the GBI completes its investigation, the case file will be given to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office for review.