What started as a day of excitement at Six Flags Over Georgia turned to panic for Jerica Johnson and her family Saturday evening when shots rang out outside the park, she said.
The 43-year-old looked up to see hundreds of young people running in a panic near the entrance and ticket booth area, where she was navigating the crowds with her 49-year-old husband, 13-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter in a stroller.
Johnson said the whole crowd “roared” and started stepping on each other in what she called the scariest moment of her life, compounded by fears of an active shooter.
“It was almost like a stampede,” she said. “My husband grabbed our daughter, and then in the crowd of people, we lost each other. I ran into the bathroom and hid in a stall and stayed in there until it sounded quiet.”
According to the GBI, several suspects were chased into the woods outside of the park after they had opened fire in the area, striking an unoccupied police vehicle. An officer eventually returned fire, hitting 15-year-old Syere Littlefield of College Park, who remains hospitalized in critical condition, the state agency said.