Parents outraged after gunshots inside Cobb County trampoline park sends crowd into chaos

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Parents are describing the chaotic moments when they heard gunshots inside an indoor trampoline park and had to run for their lives.

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It happened at the Altitude Trampoline Park on Austell Road on Saturday around 7 p.m. A parent shared a video of officers at the scene after everyone got out safely.

“I’m emotionally distraught,” you could hear one parent say on the video.

The shooting sent parents, their kids and guests running for safety.

Euriah Rhodes was there with her two small kids. She said it was chaos getting out.

“I wanted to get my kids out of there as fast as possible,” she told Channel 2′s Tom Jones.

She says people were getting hurt in their rush to get to safety.

“A lot of people were trampled. We were tripping over each other,” she said.

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Tanisha Williams says people panicked and made a mad dash for the exits.

“It was complete and utter chaos. Kids running, screaming, crying. Parents crying,” Tanisha Williams described.

Cobb County police say a man told them he was in the bathroom when he was attacked by several people. The man said one of his attackers then shot at him, but he wasn’t hit.

Jaquelle Johnson says he was in a party room near the bathroom when he heard a loud bang.

“I hear the gunshot and I’m like, ‘What was that?’” Johnson said.

He says that’s when he saw people running, headed for the exits. He knew he had to get the kids with him to safety.

“I’m like, ‘Y’all got to come on. Y’all got to come with me.’ They’re like, ‘We don’t want to go. We don’t want to go.’ I’m like, ‘Look, y’all got to come on. It’s not safe,’” Johnson said.

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He eventually got everyone out safely. Johnson wonders why would someone have a gun in a place for kids.

“Like what if he shot one of the kids?”

Williams said kids deserve a place to go and have fun and not worry about gunfire.

“You don’t expect for things to happen like that, especially with that amount of children,” Williams said.

The owners of the trampoline park sent the following statement:

“Altitude Austell is committed to providing a safe, family-friendly environment for our members and guests. We are distraught over the events of the past weekend and are dedicated to adhering to the safety protocols in place. As an additional measure, we intend to hire professional security for weekend events moving forward. We are deeply thankful that no one was injured and will continue to cooperate with all authorities as they investigate.”

Cobb County police are asking anyone with any information to call 770-499-3945.

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