COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A local teen is calling for increased security at Six Flags after he says he was attacked by a group of strangers.
The 14-year-old victim, who did not want to be identified because his attackers are still out there, told Channel 2′s Michael Seiden that it all happened on Sept. 16 after he attended Fright Fest with friends.
The teen said that he was leaving the park and headed to meet his mother when a group of strangers began attacking him in the parking lot.
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They said, ‘Did you jump my brother?’ I say ‘no,’” he said. “As I’m walking off, they just started jumping on me and attacking me.”
“I was just getting beat,” he added. “My mouth started bleeding. I had knots on my head. They just beat on me for no reason.”
The video of the disturbing attack was posted on social media and given to us by the victim’s attorney, Mohammed Luwemba.
In the video, you see several people kicking, punching, and beating the defenseless teen curled up on the ground. The video also shows a crowd of bystanders but you don’t see any police or security.
“There is a systematic problem with a lack of security at Six Flags for patrons, specifically children,” said Mohammed Luwemba, who also represented another victim in June after the teen was beaten for his designer shoes. “The common theme is large groups of unescorted youth that are not being monitored by security or lack of security presence, and most importantly, a lack of security response.”
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Right now, police are calling this an ongoing investigation, but Luwemba believes the attackers are gang members who were “free-picking” their victims.
“They’ll find that individual alone or individual with very few people that they can outnumber and just assault them and that assault could potentially be a gang initiation,” he said. “That assault could potentially be to rob that individual or just like my client to intimidate the individual.”
Luwemba says his client is still recovering and suffering from severe headaches after he was struck multiple times in the head. He also added that he plans to file a lawsuit against Six Flags.
Six Flags said the attack did not happen on its property but instead in a nearby parking lot that is privately owned.
On Wednesday, Six Flags responded with the following:
“The incident referenced in yesterday’s (WSBTV) news report has nothing to do with Six Flags as the alleged altercation did not occur on park property. As such, and despite statements to the contrary, Six Flags cannot take action on someone else’s property as we have no legal authority to do so. It is up to the property owner who runs the parking lot adjacent to the park to provide security and dedicate sufficient resources to ensure the safety of their paying patrons.
“Six Flags offers parking in its ample parking lot, which is monitored and patrolled by not only park security officers, but off-duty law enforcement officers and third-party security companies. These official parking lots are identified by signage placed at the park entrance so guests can be assured they are parking in an official Six Flags lot. This signage, which clearly identifies where guests can find official Six Flags parking, was depicted in the news story. The parking lot where the alleged altercation took place, was not Six Flags property.
“To be clear, Six Flags will not tolerate unruly behavior on our property. Period. Because we immediately address conduct that violates our Guest Code of Conduct, incidents like the one that occurred at the private parking lot outside of park property, that was depicted in the video, rarely occur on park property.
“We take our responsibility to our guests and team members seriously. Each weekend we are open, there are on average 100 plus professional security personnel on-site; including paid police officers from county and the Georgia State Patrol. Our public safety personnel, in partnership with the Cobb County Police and Georgia State Patrol, will continue to monitor, patrol and prosecute those unwilling to follow our Code of Conduct. We also strongly encourage parents to chaperone their underage children, both on and off property.
“The park will also continue to engage with local and state officials as well as other business owners affected by the challenges created by these unattended private parking lots and the unruly behavior of those seeking to cause problems for our guests looking to enjoy the family-friendly fun and attractions Six Flags is known for. Safety is our number one priority for all those who visit the park and we will continue to work in partnership with businesses, government officials, law enforcement, and community leaders to address these societal challenges.”
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