(The Lion) — A wave of violent “teen takeover” incidents erupted across the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend, with large groups of teens overwhelming parks, shopping centers and entertainment districts.
The unrest stretched from the Jersey Shore to Chicago’s Near West Side and followed months of escalating incidents that have prompted emergency declarations, curfews and calls for tougher enforcement.
One Virginia incident involved gasoline, fireworks and what a police chief described as a flamethrower, according to local reports.
The weekend’s most serious violence occurred early Sunday in Chicago.
Five police officers were struck by a vehicle while dispersing a large teen gathering on the city’s Near West Side, Block Club Chicago reported.
Authorities charged Rashad Johnson, 18, with five counts of attempted first-degree murder after police said he drove a blue sedan into officers working on foot patrol. Police also recovered a firearm from the vehicle.
In a separate Memorial Day incident nearby, four teenagers between 14 and 18 were wounded in a shooting in the Little Village neighborhood, ABC 7 Chicago reported.
A 14-year-old suffered a graze wound to the arm, two 16-year-olds were shot in the legs and an 18-year-old was shot in the buttocks, the station reported.
“As the cops broke it up, people just kept moving to different areas and it got more chaotic,” a local rapper who declined to use his legal name told Block Club Chicago. “They were on all sides of this area. Some of them near the gas station (at Roosevelt and Ashland Avenue) and some of them by the new apartments at the intersection.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has faced criticism from opponents who say city policies have weakened law enforcement’s ability to restore order.
“If we believe that we can arrest our way towards safety, we’re wrong!” Johnson told reporters last week.
Critics also noted Johnson previously vetoed a City Council ordinance that would have granted police broader authority to impose snap curfews.
Washington, D.C., has experienced similar incidents this spring.
Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency May 22 and imposed emergency curfew powers for minors under 18 through June 6 following repeated disturbances.
Earlier this spring, about 200 teens gathered in the Navy Yard neighborhood, where fights broke out and a 15-year-old was arrested after allegedly firing a gun, according to Metropolitan Police.
A separate fight inside a Navy Yard Chipotle gained national attention after videos showed teens throwing chairs while customers fled.
Interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro called for stricter enforcement and warned parents about potential consequences.
“If your teen … is a curfew violator, you’re subject to $500 fine each and every time,” Pirro said, adding that some criminal offenses involving minors can carry jail time for adults.
On the Jersey Shore, Seaside Heights requested support from the FBI, Homeland Security and SWAT teams ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Fox News reported.
The request followed a May 19 incident in nearby Long Branch, where large groups of teens fought, jumped on vehicles and disrupted the boardwalk area. Police said 139 officers from multiple agencies responded, and officials imposed an emergency 8 p.m. curfew.
In Wisconsin, hundreds of teens gathered at Bayshore Mall near Milwaukee after a social media-promoted takeover event overwhelmed security and led to fights throughout the shopping center, according to videos published by the New York Post.
In Norfolk, Virginia, police charged a 19-year-old after a street takeover involving reckless driving, fireworks and a ring of fire in the middle of an intersection.
“I have no idea what kind of ethical misfire occurs inside somebody’s head that causes them to bring a flamethrower to a neighborhood,” Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot told WAVY-TV. “But it’s certainly the kind of person that I’m sure the public will help us identify and ultimately put in handcuffs.”
Police later identified the suspect as Isaiah A. Duncan-Simmons, 19, of Virginia Beach. He faces charges including disorderly conduct and carelessly damaging property by fire.
Authorities asked the public to submit tips through the department’s crime hotline.
The trend has spread to cities including Milwaukee, Jacksonville, Rochester, Detroit and Tampa. Tampa police said they arrested 22 people May 9 following a takeover at a city park.
“It’s not a Norfolk problem. It’s a United States of America problem,” Talbot said. “So we’re seeing this as the latest version of idiotic fun that some people are choosing to engage in.”
