SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — According to Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran, Larry Mitchell Ballpark will remain shut down for at least two more months.
On Wednesday, a judge was scheduled to hear arguments on whether the temporary closing should be permanent, but Cochran told 13WMAZ the hearing was pushed back for 60 days, meaning Larry Mitchell Park will be closed into September.
The park is supposed to be closed until Sept.4, and the next hearing about its fate is scheduled on Sept. 1.
In response to the closing of the park, the owner sent 13WMAZ a statement saying the May shootings were the first violent incidents in the park's 37 year history.
They also claim it has been a safe place for families to enjoy, and the park is not the nuisance it is being portrayed as.
Here is the full statement:
"As the owner of Larry Mitchell Ballpark, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the victim families of the unfortunate tragedy on May 29, 2022. Since the creation in 1985, there had never been any violent actions where police were called and arrest warranted on the property in 37 years. Over the years, it has been a safe place for families and the community to enjoy. In February 2016, a life was taken at the public Kaolin Park in Sandersville, GA which is owned by the Washington County Board of Commissioners but I don’t recall this much publicity as it affected the community as well. Larry Mitchell Ballpark is not the nuisance it is being portrayed by the media and the county, as some of the elected officials have partake in events and campaigned there in the past."
- Larry Mitchell Ballpark Owner
The owner also claims the county has reacted differently than it did after a fatal shooting in a separate county-owned park in 2016.
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE READING: