By Isa Mudannayake

(CNN) — It looked like a typical October evening at Six Flags Over Georgia. The sinking sun cast a golden light over families standing in line for haunted houses and rides. Children shouted, amped up on sugar and adrenaline, while orange leaves crunched under their feet.

Yet behind the amusement park’s ornate entrance gates, it was more than just a normal evening. Friday marked the park’s reopening after the Monday death of a teacher, who fell from the park’s signature roller coaster, a teal and orange “hypercoaster” called Goliath, a 210-second ride reaching 70 mph and a height of 200 feet, according to the Six Flags website.

His family and the community are still reeling, and many questions remain unanswered after CNN analysis shows Goliath appeared to have passed recent safety inspections despite other alleged maintenance issues and guest injuries at several Six Flags parks.

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, an Atlanta resident and “cherished member” of Wesley International Academy, a public charter school, died after falling from the coaster, according to police. Several other parkgoers were injured.

Kariem’s funeral is scheduled for Monday afternoon, according to a Facebook post from his mosque.

He was at the park with his fiancee and the family of her brother, Joshua Nelson, to celebrate the 13th birthday of one of Nelson’s daughters.

She was sitting next to Kariem on the ride, Nelson said, adding she has been “really strong and resilient” since the incident.

Four minors were injured in the incident, police said, but no further details about their condition will be released because of their age.

Parkgoers told CNN on Friday they started lining up outside the gates around 4:30 p.m. ahead of the park’s 6 p.m. opening. They expressed excitement to participate in annual Fright Fest events, including haunted mazes and nighttime roller coaster rides.

One mother who said she visits the park about two or three times per week told CNN she and her children had just finished riding Goliath on Monday evening when she noticed people screaming and running.

She said the incident, while tragic, had no effect on their decision to return.

“It’s Fright Night! I mean, honest to God, if the Goliath was open tonight, I would ride that Goliath,” she said, adding she teaches her children not to be “scared of anything.”

Other patrons had similar sentiments. “I feel bad for the family. My heart goes out to them, but you know, accidents happen,” a Texas grandmother told CNN while waiting to enter the park.

One Georgia native said his grandchildren were looking forward to an evening of fall break fun. “They’re concerned, they’re compassionate, but they’re not worried.”

Where the investigation stands

An investigative team is conducting a review of the evidence, equipment and documentation, Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King said in a statement Thursday, to determine if state safety requirements were followed.

King is planning to hold a news conference next week with an update, he told CNN.

No investigative findings were released at a Friday news conference held by local authorities, with officials citing the active investigation.

Cobb County Police are assisting park and state officials as they work to determine a possible cause of the incident, according to Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who said verified information would be shared with the community “when it is appropriate.

“Agencies are still active and need space to do the work without speculation,” Cupid said, emphasizing the importance of Six Flags Over Georgia to the community.

“Our community deserves a fact-based review, a thorough review with clear answers when the responsible agencies are able to give them,” she added.

Sitting at the center of the park, Goliath has been closed since the incident, Cupid confirmed.

What the records show

As the investigation remains underway, CNN analysis has revealed alleged maintenance issues and guest injuries at several Six Flags parks.

Safety records between 2016 and 2026 reviewed by CNN show Goliath appears to have passed annual state safety inspections.

“Goliath’s most recent OCI inspection occurred on March 16, 2026. No violations, deficiencies, citations, or red tags were reported during that inspection,” King said in a statement Thursday obtained by CNN affiliate WSB.

Records show some issues with Goliath, such as a ride inspection report earlier this year, which noted the bushings on the roller coaster needed replacement. Bushings are components that help reduce vibration, according to WSB.

CNN has reached out to Six Flags to determine where the bushings are located.

“Safety is at the center of everything we do,” Six Flags said on its website. “Daily inspections are undertaken by park teams, while third parties, including state ride inspectors, insurance inspectors and engineering experts, also regularly evaluate the rides.”

At least 10 roller coasters across six other Six Flags locations in the US and Canada are also closed “out of an abundance of caution” in the wake of Kariem’s death, a Six Flags spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday.

Six Flags Over Georgia remains “focused on supporting those affected and maintaining the safe operation of our park and attractions,” according to a Friday statement from the park’s president. “All other rides and attractions that were scheduled to operate will be available to guests, subject to normal operating conditions and availability.”

Goliath is manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, a Swiss company with a “stellar” safety record, according to Brian Avery, a professor at the University of Florida who specializes in ride safety and risk management.

Bolliger & Mabillard issued a statement calling Monday’s deadly accident “tragic” and offering condolences to those affected.

It said it is investigating but would have no further comment, “until we have a better understanding of what transpired.”

Goliath features a waist restraint but has no over-the-shoulder harness like some other roller coasters –– a secondary restraint Avery believes should be considered.

“If you have your primary fail, what are you left with? Yeah, nothing,” he said. “And it’s an impossible feat to stay contained if it did fail because of the forces, the speed.”

At the news conference, Cupid urged patrons to be “mindful” of the tragedy and communications from the park and the state as they plan their visits.

CNN’s Melanie Hicken, Sneha Dhandapani, Karina Tsui, Isabel Rosales and Julianna Bragg contributed to this report.

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