The boy shot by police at a Six Flags in Georgia on opening night was also shot in a drive-by shooting two weeks earlier.
Syere Littlefield, 15, who was in critical condition after the amusement park shooting, was one of 500 to 600 teenagers running through the park after a series of fights Saturday night.
Police said Littlefield was shot Feb. 17 in a drive-by shooting on Lavender Lane in South Fulton, Georgia, near I-85. He suffered a minor injury and no one has been arrested in connection with this incident.
“It is my understanding that Mr. Littlefield has been listed as a victim in this incident,” Lt. Jubal Rogers, a spokesman for the South Fulton Police Department, told AL.com.
Littlefield remains in intensive care at Grady Memorial Hospital after the group of angry teenagers ran out of the park, sparking further chaos. Authorities said they shot Littlefield after he fired at officers.
It is unclear whether there is a connection between the drive-by and the amusement park shooting.
Syere Littlefield, 15, who was shot at a Six Flags in Georgia on Saturday, was also shot in a drive-by on February 17
Littlefield, who was in critical condition after the police shooting. Authorities said he fired at police officers as he fled the amusement park along with hundreds of others after a series of fights
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Littlefield fired at officers before they fired back at him and that a handgun was found on him at the scene.
He was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm under the age of 18, according to the Cobb County Police Department.
Videos of the dangerous scene have emerged on social media, apparently showing hundreds of teenagers running for their lives after gunshots were heard in the park.
A compilation of some footage showed that several fights broke out on the park's opening day. The final scene shows the scramble for the exit after the shooting.
Officers determined where the shots were coming from and chased the suspects into the woods. At some point, a police officer fired his weapon, hitting Littlefield.
The incident is currently being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and has sparked a wave of safety concerns about the park and horror at the behavior of the throngs of teenagers.
Some of the teenagers posted videos on social media of the chaos at the amusement park. Officers determined where the shots were coming from and chased the suspects into the woods
As the evening approached, guests began streaming toward the exits as the violence continued at Six Flags. Littlefield has been charged in connection with the incident and remains in critical condition
“It's just the fact that the suspects who are committing these crimes are younger and younger,” local activist Gerald Rose told Fox5 Atlanta.
“Summer hasn't even started yet and on the first day at the amusement park someone gets shot at 15?” “We've got all this gun violence going on and I'm just really worried about where it's going,” he said.
“You’re a teenager. You should be at home playing Atari video games. “You are about to commit crimes against adults,” Rose added.
Some parkgoers were concerned about Six Flags' ability to keep its customers safe. A couple said their luggage was not checked when they entered the park.
Park officials made it clear that they take guest safety very seriously and have “moved from manual bag checks to Evolv, an advanced security screening system that provides hands-off screening technology to detect metals or other unauthorized items.”
“It is important to emphasize that we prioritize safety,” they said.
Some of the teenagers were caught on video fighting violently on the park's opening day before gunfire broke out
Cobb police said the park requested their presence at the park that day following last year's fighting. Six Flags said officers were inside and outside the park that day
Evolv is the same technology used by a number of schools in the Atlanta area, as well as much larger venues like Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Cobb County police said the park requested their presence at the park the day the fight occurred last year.
“Six Flags has requested additional officers to work the park property for the day.” “In addition, the district commander for the area where Six Flags is located has assigned additional officers to patrol the adjacent areas,” police said .
In a statement Sunday, Six Flags said they received assistance from police both inside and outside the park on the day of the shooting.
Michael Owens, the mayor of Mableton, where the park is located, said the incident was “disappointing” and he plans to hold public safety meetings and work with police to talk about safety protocols.
Police said no officers were injured in the shooting and Littlefield is expected to remain hospitalized for a few more weeks.