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Questions linger after man falls to death from Six Flags roller coaster

Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, worked at Wesley International Academy.

News

Cobb County police and state officials are investigating the death of a man who appears to have been ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday.Driving the news: Cobb County police responded to the park in Mableton just before 4pm Monday and found 42-year-old Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem unresponsive and not breathing under the coaster.

Atlanta's High Museum turns 100 with a big block party

The museum is kicking off a year of celebrations with new exhibitions, refreshed galleries and free festivities.

Culture

The High Museum of Art is celebrating its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="100th birthday" data-vars-click-url="https://high.org/centennial/centennial-events" data-vars-content-id="2dfd1b9f-4d32-4a01-b8b7-47ad20f1720b" data-vars-headline="Atlanta&#x27;s High Museum turns 100 with a big block party" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://high.org/centennial/centennial-events" target="_blank">100th birthday</a> with a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="massive Peachtree Street block party" data-vars-click-url="https://high.org/event/centennial-block-party/" data-vars-content-id="2dfd1b9f-4d32-4a01-b8b7-47ad20f1720b" data-vars-headline="Atlanta&#x27;s High Museum turns 100 with a big block party" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://high.org/event/centennial-block-party/" target="_blank">massive Peachtree Street block party</a> Sunday and a refresh of its galleries.Why it matters: This weekend marks a century since the High opened its doors. <ul><li>What <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="began" data-vars-click-url="https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/at-100-years-old-the-high-museum-of-art-has-grown-from-a-donated-house-to-a-cultural-cornerstone/" data-vars-content-id="2dfd1b9f-4d32-4a01-b8b7-47ad20f1720b" data-vars-headline="Atlanta&#x27;s High Museum turns 100 with a big block party" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/at-100-years-old-the-high-museum-of-art-has-grown-from-a-donated-house-to-a-cultural-cornerstone/" target="_blank">began</a> in a Tudor-style home in then-bucolic Midtown now spans 312,000 square feet across three buildings and has become one of the South&#x27;s most significant cultural anchors.</li></ul>

The fallout over the death of HeeHaw the donkey, explained

The shooting has sparked a state investigation and civil lawsuit. There's also a cryptocurrency involved.

The police killing of a 1-year-old donkey named HeeHaw at a farm near Rockmart has sparked a state investigation and legal battle over when officers can use lethal force against animals.Driving the news: Cedartown police officer Trenton Ryan Garner, who was placed on administrative leave after shooting the donkey, has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="asked" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/officer-who-shot-killed-heehaw-pet-donkey-wants-lawsuit-dismissed/BY2BIV2BPZHXLGIEHHUNFL6JOE/" data-vars-content-id="5e287002-bd0a-4c30-8886-8fd6c5cd8f08" data-vars-headline="The fallout over the death of HeeHaw the donkey, explained" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/officer-who-shot-killed-heehaw-pet-donkey-wants-lawsuit-dismissed/BY2BIV2BPZHXLGIEHHUNFL6JOE/" target="_blank">asked</a> a federal judge to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit filed against him by HeeHaw&#x27;s owner, Hannah Israel.

Atlanta weekend events: Messi, Interpol, Halloween parade and more

The Falcons face the Bears, the High turns 100 and Atlanta Streets Alive opens roads to people.

Things to Do

You&#x27;ve been working hard lately.<ul><li>Go unwind and wind yourself up with these weekend events.</li></ul>

Atlanta police boost Beltline patrols with e-bikes

The e-bikes were built by young adults in Bearing Bike Works' job training program.

Public Safety

The Atlanta Police Department has rolled out a new fleet of e-bikes to help officers respond quicker to calls for service along the Beltline. Why it matters: The question of safety and how many officers patrol the more populated areas of the path has been a concern for Atlantans after two people were fatally stabbed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="on the trail" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/08/26/atlanta-beltline-killing-mental-health-probation-hamby" data-vars-content-id="cdf11ea5-c275-4ef3-ab05-bee3f0c80b30" data-vars-headline="Atlanta police boost Beltline patrols with e-bikes" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/08/26/atlanta-beltline-killing-mental-health-probation-hamby" target="_self">on the trail</a> this year.

Atlanta eyes citywide rules for license plate readers

Mayor Andre Dickens will introduce legislation to govern how the cameras are used.

Politics

Atlanta leaders could take up legislation as early as next week that would formalize standards on how automated license plate readers and other cameras are used throughout the city.Why it matters: Law enforcement misuse of ALPRs and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="concerns about privacy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/09/01/flock-license-plate-readers-atlanta-privacy-concerns" data-vars-content-id="576ccc87-07e2-45a7-bf8b-1b8d90d98153" data-vars-headline="Atlanta eyes citywide rules for license plate readers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/09/01/flock-license-plate-readers-atlanta-privacy-concerns" target="_self">concerns about privacy</a> have left many residents around the country — and across the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="political spectrum" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/26/flock-cameras-senate-investigation-josh-hawley" data-vars-content-id="576ccc87-07e2-45a7-bf8b-1b8d90d98153" data-vars-headline="Atlanta eyes citywide rules for license plate readers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/26/flock-cameras-senate-investigation-josh-hawley" target="_self">political spectrum</a> — questioning if the technology is being used as a government surveillance tool that potentially infringes on civil liberties.

Atlanta accepts Fulton County's offer to buy city jail for $68 million

The pending agreement has to be approved by the Atlanta City Council and Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has accepted Fulton County&#x27;s offer to buy the City Detention Center for $68 million, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="letter" data-vars-click-url="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cywHVJFuP909mse-8cnD1EKe7qv1NdDx/view?usp=sharing" data-vars-content-id="8cb98563-0596-4dd6-b68d-d3c6ace6af83" data-vars-headline="Atlanta accepts Fulton County&#x27;s offer to buy city jail for $68 million" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cywHVJFuP909mse-8cnD1EKe7qv1NdDx/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">letter</a> shared with Axios.Why it matters: The Downtown building has fueled a long-running debate over whether Atlanta should get out of the jailing business or if Fulton County should acquire the facility to help ease overcrowding and address problems at its main <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Rice Street" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/08/20/fulton-county-jail-renovation-plans-georgia" data-vars-content-id="8cb98563-0596-4dd6-b68d-d3c6ace6af83" data-vars-headline="Atlanta accepts Fulton County&#x27;s offer to buy city jail for $68 million" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/08/20/fulton-county-jail-renovation-plans-georgia" target="_self">Rice Street</a> jail.

Fulton accepts Atlanta's $68M jail offer, but rejects key terms

Fulton County said Mayor Andre Dickens' stipulations are not related to the real estate transaction they are negotiating.

The bartering over the Atlanta City Detention Center continues, as Fulton County has accepted Mayor Andre Dickens&#x27; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="latest offer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/09/02/atlanta-mayor-andre-dickens-jail-proposal-fulton-county" data-vars-content-id="f3a3516c-e9fd-4c69-bfbd-16610d30d01b" data-vars-headline="Fulton accepts Atlanta&#x27;s $68M jail offer, but rejects key terms" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/09/02/atlanta-mayor-andre-dickens-jail-proposal-fulton-county" target="_self">latest offer</a> to sell the Downtown jail for $68 million — with a catch.The latest: Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts told Dickens in a letter Wednesday that the Board of Commissioners agreed to his counteroffer for the 1,300-bed jail, but outlined a few stipulations of its own in response to Dickens&#x27; demands.

Flock's license plate readers fuel privacy concerns

Citizens in metro Atlanta and across the country are pushing back on ALPRs.

Concerns over the use of automated license plate readers (ALPR) persist across metro Atlanta, as questions mount over what information the technology captures and whether guardrails are needed to protect one&#x27;s privacy.Why it matters: Citizens in metro Atlanta <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="and beyond" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/huntsville/2026/08/28/huntsville-flock-cameras-police-alabama" data-vars-content-id="45909369-7581-4341-aaf9-8a976910df32" data-vars-headline="Flock&#x27;s license plate readers fuel privacy concerns" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/huntsville/2026/08/28/huntsville-flock-cameras-police-alabama" target="_self">and beyond</a> are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pushing back" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/flock-camera-local-opposition-surveillance" data-vars-content-id="45909369-7581-4341-aaf9-8a976910df32" data-vars-headline="Flock&#x27;s license plate readers fuel privacy concerns" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/17/flock-camera-local-opposition-surveillance" target="_self">pushing back</a> against ALPRs, which they see as a government surveillance tool that potentially infringes on civil liberties.

Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit

Eric André and Clayton English sued Clayton County police officers in 2022, alleging the department's Airport Interdiction Unit compelled passengers to consent to searches.

The Clayton County Police Department has agreed to disband one of its units at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport nearly four years after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="two comedians" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/10/13/eric-andre-sues-cops-over-racial-profiling-at-atlanta-airport" data-vars-content-id="1564fab9-2839-4f59-b5ab-3e2b65914a97" data-vars-headline="Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2022/10/13/eric-andre-sues-cops-over-racial-profiling-at-atlanta-airport" target="_self">two comedians</a> alleged the unit coerced passengers to undergo unconstitutional searches.The latest: Clayton County has settled <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the lawsuit" data-vars-click-url="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/63459147ec332f2e79d80282/1665503559954/Andre+English+-+Complaint.pdf" data-vars-content-id="1564fab9-2839-4f59-b5ab-3e2b65914a97" data-vars-headline="Clayton police to end drug search program at Atlanta airport after lawsuit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/63459147ec332f2e79d80282/1665503559954/Andre+English+-+Complaint.pdf" target="_blank">the lawsuit</a> brought by Eric André and Clayton English, who in 2022 accused officers of using the department&#x27;s Airport Interdiction Unit to compel passengers — most of whom were people of color — to consent to searches between fall 2020 and spring 2021, lawyers for the two men said Tuesday.

Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison

The judge said Colin Gray ignored warning signs that his son was obsessed with mass shooters.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="father of" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" target="_self">father of</a> a Georgia teen who killed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="four people and wounded nine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_self">four people and wounded nine</a> others in a 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School will spend 15 years in prison in connection with his child&#x27;s crimes.The latest: Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm on Thursday sentenced Colin Gray, 55, several months after a trial jury <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="convicted" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/03/03/colin-gray-apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray" target="_self">convicted</a> him on more than two dozen charges including second-degree murder. <ul><li>Prosecutors had asked the judge to give Gray an 80-year prison term.</li><li>The sentence came two days after Gray&#x27;s 16-year-old son, Colt, was <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ordered" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/28/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooter-sentenced-life-in-prison" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/28/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooter-sentenced-life-in-prison" target="_self">ordered</a> by Primm to serve life in prison without parole. </li></ul>Catch up quick: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Colt Gray used an AR-style weapon in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school in Winder.<ul><li>The victims were identified as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14, and math teachers Christina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, who was also an assistant football coach.</li></ul>What they&#x27;re saying: Primm said Colin Gray was criminally negligent because he saw the warning signs that his son was obsessed with mass shooters.<ul><li>He also said Gray &quot;failed as a parent&quot; because he did not enroll his son in school during his eighth-grade year, which allowed him to stay home where he &quot;fell deeper and deeper into his obsession.&quot;</li><li>Gray also did not seek mental help for his son, get him involved in age-appropriate activities or monitor his computer use, according to Primm, nor did he secure the guns or remove them from his home.</li><li>&quot;You were convicted because the warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter, and you didn&#x27;t get him help, and you didn&#x27;t remove his access to the guns,&quot; Primm said.</li></ul>Ismael &quot;Junior&quot; Angulo, the older brother of Christian Angulo, said Gray chose to &quot;ignore every red flag.&quot;<ul><li>&quot;And because of his choices, my little brother Christian and three others, Mason, Coach Aspinwall, and Miss [Christina] Irimie are gone, and so many others will carry permanent scars,&quot; he said.</li></ul>The other side: Gray&#x27;s defense team asked the court to sentence his client to a total of 20 years, 10 of which he would serve behind bars and the rest on probation. <ul><li>&quot;Ten years in a Georgia prison for a man who never intended to harm a single human being is among the most severe sentences ever imposed on a parent in American history for the act of a child,&quot; Gray&#x27;s attorney said.</li></ul>The big picture: Gray&#x27;s conviction and sentence is the first known case in Georgia, and second in the country, where a parent has been held criminally responsible for a mass shooting committed by their child.<ul><li>Michigan couple <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="James and Jennifer Crumbley" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/michigan-school-shooter-parents-sentenced" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/michigan-school-shooter-parents-sentenced" target="_self">James and Jennifer Crumbley</a> became the first when they were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after their son <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="killed four students" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/11/30/michigan-high-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/11/30/michigan-high-school-shooting" target="_self">killed four students</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="wounded seven others" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/24/ethan-crumbley-plea-oxford-shooting-michigan" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/24/ethan-crumbley-plea-oxford-shooting-michigan" target="_self">wounded seven others</a> in a 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Oakland County.</li><li>They were sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.</li></ul>What we&#x27;re watching: Friday is the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first day of school" data-vars-click-url="https://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/event_view?event_id=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;calIDref=142769&amp;feedID=5399&amp;uid=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;did=a8417fad7c07fb1ad4774873e9c17f4dde31cd21&amp;eventDate=2026-07-31&amp;feed_type=ics" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/event_view?event_id=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;calIDref=142769&amp;feedID=5399&amp;uid=040000008200E00074C5B7101A82E00800000000BE50CB8A47F4DC0100000000000000001000000025BA726B24123343BB27DE876F9A8BAF&amp;did=a8417fad7c07fb1ad4774873e9c17f4dde31cd21&amp;eventDate=2026-07-31&amp;feed_type=ics" target="_blank">first day of school</a> for students in Barrow County, and the Apalachee community is focused on healing.<ul><li>&quot;As our community enters a new school year, our hearts remain entirely with the families of Mason, Christian, Coach Aspinwall, and Mrs. Irimie,&quot; Change for Chee, the student-led organization that formed after the shooting, wrote Thursday on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Instagram" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbas-qWhzxL/" data-vars-content-id="c5437066-0333-4ed6-b5be-5e6ac6db9aa6" data-vars-headline="Father of Apalachee mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbas-qWhzxL/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. &quot;Their strength inspires us, and their legacies will never be forgotten.&quot;</li></ul>

Apalachee High School mass shooter gets life without parole

Colt Gray, 16, will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing four people and injuring nine others in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County.

A Georgia judge has sentenced the teenager who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pleaded guilty" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/24/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray-pleads-guilty" data-vars-content-id="938496c5-aaa1-4d9b-9c8a-824ab5344fa3" data-vars-headline="Apalachee High School mass shooter gets life without parole" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/24/apalachee-high-school-mass-shooting-colt-gray-pleads-guilty" target="_self">pleaded guilty</a> to murder in the 2024 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mass shooting" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="938496c5-aaa1-4d9b-9c8a-824ab5344fa3" data-vars-headline="Apalachee High School mass shooter gets life without parole" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_self">mass shooting</a> at Apalachee High School to life in prison without parole.The latest: Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm handed down the sentence less than a week after 16-year-old Colt Gray entered guilty pleas to all 55 charges against him.

Teen suspect in Apalachee High School mass shooting pleads guilty

Colt Gray was 14 when authorities say he used an AR-style firearm to kill four people and injure nine others in a Sept. 4, 2024, shooting in Barrow County, Georgia.

The teenager accused of carrying out the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2024 mass shooting" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" data-vars-content-id="449e431d-0b8d-48cd-9e3b-064146f4fc9c" data-vars-headline="Teen suspect in Apalachee High School mass shooting pleads guilty" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/04/georgia-school-shooting" target="_self">2024 mass shooting</a> at a Georgia high school pleaded guilty Friday to murder and dozens of other charges.The latest: Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the Apalachee High School shooting, entered guilty pleas to all 55 counts handed down in a grand jury indictment, the Barrow County District Attorney&#x27;s Office tells Axios.

Starting a police department is easier said than done, local leaders say

The city of Mableton hopes to establish its own police force by 2027.

The city of Mableton wants to split from Cobb County and start its own <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="police department" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/15/mableton-new-police-department-cobb-county" data-vars-content-id="89e28fad-c6a0-4ad1-b6ed-b28d0a4d85f4" data-vars-headline="Starting a police department is easier said than done, local leaders say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/07/15/mableton-new-police-department-cobb-county" target="_self">police department</a>, and while Mableton&#x27;s leaders are optimistic, they should prepare for a few bumps along the way, those with experience told Axios.Why it matters: Hurdles will likely be easier to clear if the city prioritizes hiring sworn officers, civilians and a command staff who can set aside personal agendas and serve Mableton first, said Maj. Mike Lindstrom of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sandy Springs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/02/17/sandy-springs-20th-anniversary-georgia" data-vars-content-id="89e28fad-c6a0-4ad1-b6ed-b28d0a4d85f4" data-vars-headline="Starting a police department is easier said than done, local leaders say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/02/17/sandy-springs-20th-anniversary-georgia" target="_self">Sandy Springs</a> Police Department.