Multiple suspects are being sought after one person was shot when police exchanged gunfire with what they described as an “unruly crowd” of up to 600 people near the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park in suburban Atlanta.
The shooting erupted around 6:15 p.m. Saturday on a service road just off the 290-acre theme park’s property in Austell, about 17 miles northwest of Atlanta, according to the Cobb County Police Department.
Before the shooting, Cobb County police officers were called to the park by Six Flags Over Georgia security to help disperse “a sizeable unruly crowd” of 500 to 600 people “running through the park and fighting,” Cobb County police said in a statement to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB-TV.
Crime scene near Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, GA, Mar. 3, 2024.
ABC News/WSB
When police arrived, they were confronted by a large crowd leaving the park, which was celebrating its opening day of the season, according to authorities.
Officers followed the crowd to a service road near the theme park, where multiple people opened fire on them, prompting police to return fire, according to the Cobb County police statement.
One person was injured during the gunfire, and authorities confirmed a police officer shot the person. The wounded individual was hospitalized, but their name and condition were not released.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation of the shooting. No arrests have been announced.
“It is incredibly disappointing that our community is disrupted at public events throughout the region by groups of underaged youth. Just like other venues in the area, we are committed to keeping this type of trouble outside our park and off our property,” Six Flags Over Georgia said in a statement.
The shooting occurred on the South Service Road, which is not owned or operated by Six Flags, theme park officials said.
“However, we join our community and the Atlanta region in our commitment to safety and security. We won’t put up with that type of activity here,” park officials said, adding that the park has “state-of-the-art security systems and metal detection.”
“Every guest is expected to follow our strict code of conduct and anyone unwilling to follow that code of conduct is unwelcome,” park officials added.