SNELLVILLE, Ga. — A public pool in Snellville will be closed for at least a week after police responded to “disruptive behavior” that ended in gunfire.
Channel 2’s Tom Regan spoke with people arriving at the pool, only to be turned away.
The T.W. Briscoe Park Pool will not open to the public through the end of this week. Swim lessons and private events aren’t impacted.
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“I was just going to hop in the pool, but I guess not. I didn’t know there were any gunshots fired over here,” park visitor Brendon Green said.
Brendon Green and his mom, Lucretia Green say they are bummed after learning they can’t swim at one of their favorite community pools. At least for now.
“What do you think about it being close?” Regan asked.
“I’m upset. It’s my birthday, and I was going to soak up some sun,” Lucretia Green said.
The move comes after what the city only referred to as guests acting unruly last weekend. A city spokesperson confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that the “disruptive behavior” led to several gunshots being fired.
City officials decided to temporarily close the park pool to general access after some teens got in a fight at the pool late Friday afternoon.
“This pool has been open for decades, we’ve never had an incident like this,” Snellville city manager Butch Sanders said.
In the meantime, the city says its leaders are reviewing its safety procedures to “provide and maintain a safe and family-friendly environment.”
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Sanders told Regan that temporarily closing the pool, especially at the start of summer, was a tough decision, but he said it was made in the interest of public safety for visitors and staff.
“When we heard that there were arguments, a couple of shots fired, we felt we needed to close the pool down to public access and talk about our procedures and guidelines for how best we could make everybody safe,” Sanders explained.
No one was hurt during the shooting.
Sanders said the pool will still be open for organized swimming events, like lessons, swim meets, and camps.
He told Regan he knows the pool means a lot to families and others looking to beat the heat.
“It’s an important part of public recreation in Snellville and we want to be open as soon as we can, but we want to make sure everyone is comfortable,” Sanders said.
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The city manager said it’s possible that they will reopen the pool to the general public on Friday.
Police say they are working to identify who fired the shots, and others involved in the unruly behavior.
When it does, the pool will be open 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Admission costs $5 for ages 4-49 and $2 for ages 3 and under and 50 and over.
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