Cobb officials to address Six Flags tragedy ahead of park reopening
Six Flags Over Georgia reopens as Goliath stays shut
Six Flags Over Georgia reopened to visitors while the Goliath roller coaster remained shut down following the death of 42-year-old Hassan Karim. State inspectors from the Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner's Office confirmed the ride passed its March inspection as they investigate the fatal accident.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Cobb County leaders and police officials will hold a press conference Friday afternoon to address community concerns surrounding the recent tragedy at Six Flags Over Georgia, county officials announced.
What we know:
Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid and representatives from the Cobb County Police Department are scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. from the Board of Commissioners conference room in Marietta.
Former Six Flags operator calls Goliath 'incredibly safe' after deadly ejection
According to county officials, Chairwoman Cupid will deliver remarks addressing the community's concerns and detailing the county's broader response following Monday's incident, in which 42-year-old Atlanta educator Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem fell to his death from the Goliath hypercoaster.
Cobb County Police Department representatives will outline law enforcement's role in the multi-agency inquiry and provide an overview of the ongoing investigative process.
County communications officials emphasized that no new investigative findings or substantive case updates are expected to be announced during the briefing.
The backstory:
The tragedy occurred just before 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, when Kariem was ejected from the Goliath hypercoaster train. Emergency personnel rushed to the scene, but Kariem died from his injuries. Four other passengers on the train—all minors—suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were hospitalized, while Kariem's partner's niece, who was seated directly beside him, was not physically hurt.
Loved ones remembered Kariem as the "sunshine of our family," a passionate educator and information technology professional at Wesley International Academy in Atlanta, and a two-time lymphoma survivor. Known as a "gentle giant" who loved cooking big pans of lasagna for family get-togethers, relatives said his deepest dedication was reserved for raising his partner's daughter, whom he cared for as his own since she was two years old.
"Our whole family is devastated by this because it just happened out of the blue," his cousin Geo Ashe said. "You would never expect anything like that." His cousin Marcus Ashe added that Kariem was a man who "deserves the world," urging the public to remember his kindness rather than the shock of his death. Amid their grief, the family pleaded with social media users to stop circulating footage of his final moments and warned against fraudulent online fundraisers created in his name.
The fatal fall came less than seven months after state regulators thoroughly evaluated the ride. According to official records from the Georgia Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, Goliath passed its mandatory annual review on March 16, 2026, with zero citations, violations, or mechanical red tags reported.
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Dig deeper:
The 2 p.m. briefing comes just hours before Six Flags Over Georgia reopens its gates to the public at 6 p.m. Friday for Fright Fest—marking the park's first day in operation since Monday's fatal incident.
While the theme park will welcome guests this weekend, Goliath remains closed indefinitely. Under Georgia safety regulations, any attraction involved in a fatality or serious injury must remain secured and out of service until the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire (OCI) completes an independent safety and regulatory investigation.
On Thursday, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King confirmed that Goliath had zero violations, citations, or deficiencies during its most recent annual inspection on March 16, 2026. State engineers and inspectors remain on-site reviewing mechanical hardware, computerized sensors, and maintenance logs.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not determined what caused Kariem to be ejected from the moving train or whether mechanical failure, operator error, electronic sensor issues, or physical factors contributed to the fall. State and county officials have not announced a timeline for concluding their investigations.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by an official media advisory from Cobb County Interim Communications Director Shelly Weidner and statements from the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner.