A 15-year-old boy who was critically injured after being shot by Cobb County police during an exchange of gunfire outside Six Flags Over Georgia on Saturday is now facing charges, authorities confirmed Monday.
At about 6:15 p.m., police responded to assist with crowd control at the park’s entrance on the opening day of the season after several fights broke out among guests as they were leaving, according to the GBI. Police said they helped Six Flags security with an “unruly crowd” that had swelled to between 500 to 600 people who were “running through the park and fighting.”
Officers and security personnel followed them out of the park and onto Six Flags Parkway near South Service Road, police said. At some point, several people opened fire, striking an unoccupied patrol vehicle, the state agency added.
“As officers identified where the shots were coming from, they ran after people who had run into the woods,” the GBI stated. “During the incident, one CCPD officer fired his weapon, hitting one minor.”
The teenager was identified Monday as Syere Littlefield, of College Park, according to the GBI. Officials said a handgun was found near the injured teen, who was given medical aid on scene before being taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
Littlefield is facing a charge of aggravated assault, Cobb police spokesperson Officer Aaron Wilson said. Wilson was not able to confirm if the teen would face additional charges or anyone else will be charged related to the chaos inside and outside the park.
No officers were injured during the incident.
Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC
Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC
In a statement, the park said the shooting did not occur on its property or parking lot.
“This took place on South Service Road that is not owned or operated by Six Flags,” the statement read. “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.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
It was the second year in a row that fighting was reported inside the park on the first day of the season. Last March, a parkgoer, Justin Clayton, told Channel 2 Action News that he and his family saw multiple groups of teens get into fights. In a statement released to the media after that incident, Six Flags said it removed the young people who were fighting.
“Unfortunately, several groups of young people decided to engage in inappropriate behavior in more than one area of the park,” the statement added. “Their actions disrupted the park experience for our guests and violated our park policies. ... We have absolutely no tolerance for inappropriate behavior. Safety for our guests, and our team members, is our foremost priority. Unruly behavior will not be tolerated.”
Credit: Benjamin Hendren
Credit: Benjamin Hendren
The GBI will conduct an independent investigation into Saturday’s gunfire. Afterward, the case file will be given to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office for review.
The incident was the 11th officer-involved shooting the state agency has been asked to investigate in 2024. At this point last year, the GBI had opened investigations into 16 such shootings.
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