Six Flags Georgia is normally home to several fun family-friendly activities, rides, and stage shows, with thousands of patrons flocking to the Austell destination each year. Unfortunately, the theme park was home to a violent incident last weekend, which left one teenager injured in a gunfight with the police. Details about the disturbing event are gradually emerging to the public, leaving many park patrons shaken by the traumatic situation. Here's everything we know about the Six Flags Georgia shooting so far.
The Incident Began With A Massive Brawl
According to reports, hundreds of unruly teens turned up at the Six Flags Georgia opening night event. Apparently, youths in numbers of over 500 broke into a massive free-for-all altercation at the park, instilling panic in the other guests and prompting security to call in the local police department for assistance. The droves of teenagers were simply too much for the Six Flags security to handle, creating an untenable situation throughout the entire park, spilling out onto the nearby service road.
According to police, several teens began discharging firearms at responding officers once they arrived at the service road just outside the park grounds, prompting a gunfight that left one of the brawlers with a gunshot injury. Police later identified the victim as 15-year-old Seyer Littlefield. Littlefield was first reported to have been in critical condition after the officer-involved shooting, though the latest reports state his injuries were only minor.
Social Media Posts Indicate The Brawl Was Premeditated
Unfortunately, a number of social media posts from before the shooting incident at Six Flags Over Georgia seem to indicate that a myriad of the youths who engaged in violence at the park had planned the brawl in advance. While circumstances may have drawn many young patrons into the brawl, others intentionally attended the opening day with the aim of starting fights. This is not an isolated incident either, as teenagers previously engaged in brawls at the theme park during last year's opening weekend, sparking an alarming trend for employees and patrons of Six Flags alike.
Some Atlanta residents even claim that they attempted to reach out to Fulton County police in advance of opening night specifically to warn authorities to prepare for violent outbursts due to warning signs they saw shared around social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram. When asked for a comment regarding the violence, a spokesman for Six Flags Over Georgia stated, "It is incredibly disappointing that our community is disrupted at public events throughout the region by groups of underaged youth... We won't put up with that type of activity here."
Police Are Still Investigating The Officer-Involved Shooting
Surprisingly, authorities discovered that Seyer Littlefield had fallen victim to a drive-by shooting on February 17 before the Six Flags Georgia incident. While there seems to be no direct link between the drive-by and the Six Flags brawl, it seems clear that youth violence in the Atlanta area has reached something of a fever pitch in recent months. Fulton County police are still working closely with Cobb County police to determine the specifics of the officer-involved shooting to ensure that all police conduct was above board. Per reports, the 15-year-old had a gun in his possession, in clear violation of Georgia's Possession of a Firearm Under 18 law. Upon Littlefield's release from the hospital, authorities anticipate taking him into police custody.
[Via]