Family remembers man killed at Six Flags Georgia

That is where we begin tonight on Fox 5 News at 10. Good evening, I'm Russ Spencer. Hassan Kareem was ejected from the popular Goliath roller coaster Monday afternoon. Cobb County police say he fell to his death. Fox 5's Denise Dillon has an inside look and goes into finding out how this could have happened. But we begin tonight with Annie Mapp, who spoke with Hassan Kareem's family today. Annie, they want people to know what made him so beloved. Good evening, Russ. Those closest to Hassan Kareem say he had a way of bringing people together and making everyone feel like they belonged. Now they want people to remember him for the life he lived and not the tragic way it ended. He was the sunshine of our family. For 42-year-old Hassan Kareem, Six Flags Over Georgia was more than just a theme park. His cousin, Gio Ash, says it was a place filled with memories from his childhood. We all grew up going to Six Flags every summer. We would go to Grandma's house, and Grandma, like once or twice out of that summer, would go into Six Flags. On Monday, Hassan was at the park with his significant other, her daughter, and her niece when Cobb County police say he was ejected from the Goliath's roller coaster. His partner's niece was riding with him when the tragedy happened. Family members say she wasn't injured. So I hope I'm really devastated by this because it just happened out of the blue. It happened like how it happened and you would never expect nothing like that. The news is a hard pill to swallow for Hassan's family. They describe him as a class act who was passionate about technology and teaching students at Wesley International Academy in the Atlanta public school system. He loved kids. It's important for him to have any kids. He doesn't have any biological kids, but his stepdaughter is his daughter. He's been there with her since, I can say, two years old, three years old. When Hassan wasn't teaching, he was engaging in a good debate or whipping it up in the kitchen for family gatherings. Going over to grandma's house, and he bringing his lasagna. Oh, man. And he'll bring just three different pans of three different types. And he love this, this meat lasagna. I'm going to miss that. Loved ones say he also beat lymphoma twice. Through the heartbreak, his loved ones are treasuring the moments they did spend by his side. It's just unfortunate for a man like this who deserves the world. And Hassan Karim's family is asking the public to please give them some privacy during this difficult time and to also show them some respect by not sharing those graphic images online of his final moments. Now, we are told Six Flags will reopen this weekend. However, the Goliath ride will remain closed. What led to Hassan's death is still under investigation. Reporting live in Cobb County, Annie Mapp, Fox 5 News. Lord, just so sorry for their loss. It's just inconceivable what happened there. Annie, thanks very much.