After a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot near the Atlanta Fair on Saturday night, the carnival’s organizers said they are enhancing security patrols around the attraction’s perimeter.
The slain teenager was later identified by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office as Joshua Adetunji. The deadly incident is yet another data point in a troubling trend in which large groups of teenagers coalesce into an uncontrolled gathering that boils over into violence.
Credit: Family Photo
Credit: Family Photo
Ray Guthrie, president of the Atlanta Fair, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that security had always been a top priority and that no incidents had been reported at the fair the night of the shooting. According to Guthrie, the fair is adding security patrol cars and expanding their patrol perimeter at the request of Atlanta police.
Saturday’s shooting, which also injured a 14-year-old and 19-year-old, took place at the intersection of Pryor and Bass streets, about a block from the site of the fair, the AJC previously reported. Police first responded to a BP gas station at the corner of Ralph D. Abernathy Boulevard and Central Avenue, just around the corner from the shooting scene.
Videos posted to social media show police swarming the BP and fights taking place in the area, but the exact location of the fight is not clear. Atlanta police have not shared any information indicating the incident stemmed from a situation that began inside the fair.
In a phone call with the AJC, Guthrie stressed the strength of the security at the Atlanta Fair. Aside from adding patrol cars and extending the perimeter of their security patrols, no additional changes have been made to the fair’s standard security procedures, he said.
Those procedures include fencing the entire perimeter of the fair and employing 25-30 security personnel composed of off-duty Atlanta police officers and private contractors on the weekends. Guthrie said the front entrance checkpoint includes bag checks for any and all types of bags as well as a weapons screening with a wand.
Guthrie added that their company, Peachtree Rides, has worked with the same security company for 20 years and that they rely on their experience to turn some people away.
“They know what to look for, whether it’s a large group, or people wearing certain gang colors, that kind of thing,” Guthrie said.
After 5 p.m. on weekends, all minors must have a parent or guardian accompanying them to enter the fair, Guthrie said.
“It has to be a parent,” Guthrie said. “None of this, ‘he’s my brother, he’s 19’ stuff.”
During the week, children over the age of 16 can still go to the fair without a parent, Guthrie said, but the attraction is typically much less crowded then.
Saturday’s incident is reminiscent of other violent episodes that have broken out amid large, uncontrolled gatherings of teens around Atlanta in recent months. In December, witnesses reported a gathering of more than 100 teens in Atlantic Station that led to fights and gunfire, the AJC reported. A 16-year-old was shot by an off-duty Georgia State University police officer working security as he returned fire. The suspect was injured and later taken to the hospital.
On the northern side of downtown Atlanta this past summer, a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed during what police described as a “melee” that stemmed from a gathering of about 50 teenagers. Two other teens, ages 14 and 15, were injured in the shooting as well.
In East Point early last year, three teenagers were shot one February weekend in the parking lot of the Camp Creek Marketplace shopping center, the AJC reported. In the course of a few months, the parking lot had organically developed into a gathering place for teenagers that attracted hundreds at a time. City officials ultimately imposed a curfew for minors and penalties for parents and guardians found responsible for teens caught breaking the curfew.
On Monday, Atlanta police posted a long statement to Facebook begging the community to help keep the city’s children from becoming involved in violent crime.
“Atlanta, help us to help you,” the agency wrote. “We need parents, extended families, churches, non-profit organizations, county agencies, celebrity folks with platforms and resources, and other individuals who claim to care about this city, crime, and juveniles to step up and do their part.”
The weekend’s violence did not change Guthrie’s faith that the Atlanta Fair was still a place for wholesome fun, especially for children who may not have opportunities to visit far-flung theme parks.
“We’re a local business. Our shop is on Marietta Street and our home office is in Dunwoody,” Guthrie said. “People will ask, ‘Why do we need a carnival? Why not just go to Six Flags?’ Well, Six Flags will cost you $125 a day and it’s not in downtown.”
Tickets to Six Flags Over Georgia cost $40 if purchased online ahead of time, though parking, food and extra purchases can quickly add to that initial price. Admission to the Atlanta Fair costs $8 at most and $1 for children under 36 inches tall. Rides and tickets inside the fair cost around $1 each.
Atlanta police are asking for more help in keeping kids and teenagers away from violence and crime.
“Crime reduction, gun safety and community safety are everyone’s responsibility. It is imperative that everyone understands their assignment, and does their part,” the department said. “Policing is just one aspect of the overall issue.”
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