Atlanta school ‘devastated’ after educator falls from Six Flags roller coaster

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem spent more than a dozen years building a rapport with students at a tight-knit Atlanta charter school, a legacy those who loved him are clinging to after his death in a Six Flags Over Georgia roller coaster incident.

Children at Wesley International Academy, just east of downtown Atlanta, knew him simply and affectionately as “Mr. Kariem,” the school said in a social media tribute post.

He was a technology teacher first, then earned a promotion to be the school’s IT manager and also coached its robotics team, Atlanta Public Schools said in a Wednesday statement. Through that work, the academy said, he left “a lasting impact on generations of students and colleagues.”

The community “is devastated by the loss,” the school added, saying Kariem was “deeply loved and respected.”

The 42-year-old who lived in Atlanta was ejected from his seat and collided with other people on his plummet from the roller coaster Monday, Cobb County police said the following day. He was “unresponsive and not breathing” when officers arrived where he had fallen beneath the ride, police said.

“Kariem was ejected from the ride and struck other patrons before falling beneath the attraction,” police said in the news release, citing eyewitness interviews.

A family member reached by phone Tuesday declined to comment.

The incident Monday afternoon sparked horrified reactions on social media as eyewitnesses shared their experiences online. The park remains closed Wednesday, but is slated to reopen from 6-11 p.m. Friday as part of its fall weekend schedule, Six Flags Over Georgia said in an email to the AJC.

“Goliath remains temporarily closed. We do not have an anticipated reopening date at this time,” the company said in the statement.

Six Flags has shut down attractions at its parks worldwide that are similar to the coaster “out of an abundance of caution,” a Six Flags Entertainment Corporation spokesperson said previously.

The rides closed at other Six Flags parks include:

• Six Flags Great America — Raging Bull
• Six Flags Magic Mountain — Goliath
• Six Flags Great Adventure — Nitro
• Canada’s Wonderland — Leviathan and Behemoth
• Carowinds — Fury 325 and Thunder Striker
• Kings Island — Orion and Diamondback

The news helicopter with Channel 2 Action News spotted an evacuation of the Goliath roller coaster, which was halted on a hill as riders climbed down, the TV station reported.

In the immediate hours after the incident, a spokesperson for the Georgia park said they are “deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today” and offered condolences to the family members and friends of the person who died.

“The park team and local authorities responded immediately, and we are cooperating fully with local authorities as they complete their investigation,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be sharing additional details at this time.”

Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said in a statement that Six Flags is a “significant” part of the area’s tourism draw, and that she is seeking to learn more about what happened in the incident.

“I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today, and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,” she said. “We are all grappling with how something so devastating could happen at a place that has given generations of families such happy memories.”

Cupid, in a later social media post, described Kariem as a father and asked people to “please respect” his grieving family.

He was also “a cherished member” of the Wesley school who “will be deeply missed by our students, staff, and all those whose lives he touched,” the Atlanta district said. Wesley added that his love and commitment to the academy and its students was “evident in everything he did.”

Kariem received a bachelor’s degree with a major in information technology/telecommunications and network administration from Georgia Southern University, and the university said he also earned a master’s in instructional technology.

Several years ago, he started a business, Original Hu3, according to Georgia’s online corporations records. In his LinkedIn profile, Kariem wrote his goal for the company was to create “a safe space for melanated people to design, create, and produce using technology like 3D printers.”

Mableton Mayor Michael Owens said the city is coordinating with Cobb police and park security on the incident.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident at Six Flags Over Georgia today,” he said. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the individual’s family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also extended condolences to the family of the person who died, and to the people injured and the witnesses.

“During this difficult time, we stand with everyone affected by this tragedy and hope they find comfort in the days ahead,” he said in a statement.

Goliath, which originally opened in 2006, celebrated 20 years earlier this year. Just months after its opening, a 45-year-old Alabama man died after suffering a heart attack at the very end of the ride, the AJC reported at the time.