Fights break out at dozens of malls across the US after Christmas
As the Christmas holiday came to a close, fights broke out at over a dozen malls yesterday, many allegedly fueled by social media.
The mall incidents ranged from small altercations to mass evacuations and happened all across the United States, including: Aurora, CO; Aurora, IL; Memphis, TN; Chattanooga, TN; Cleveland, OH; and Elizabeth, NJ.
According to CNN, the mall fight in Aurora, CO, began when a social media post surfaced promising a fight at the Town Center.
Approximately 100 people gathered at the food court, and fights quickly broke out, causing the mall to shut its doors early.
The fights were not contained to the food court. As police officers arrived, fights also broke out at a movie theater and a nearby park-and-ride.
Police estimate that 500 people were involved, and five juveniles have been arrested. One person suffered “significant” injuries and was treated at a hospital. No weapons were recovered.
smh they was shooting in Beachwood Mall (Cleveland) pic.twitter.com/I8TjjsUPZB
— 💨 BigShane337 ~ ONG.BigShane 🏁 (@BigShane337) December 27, 2016
In Aurora, IL, the mall fight was so bad it forced the mall to be evacuated and closed for the rest of the day. No injuries were reported.
Police took seven people into custody after incidents at two different malls in Memphis. Both Wolfchase Galleria and Oak Court Mall in Memphis were evacuated and closed early.
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, police responded to “shots fired” at Hamilton Place Mall. The loud sounds sent people running for the doors, with some falling to the ground in their panic. There were no shots fired’ it was the sound of fireworks that confused people.
UPDATE: 20 firecrackers were discharged in Pink causing confusion. 3 injuries are reported, 0 serious. Mall is returning to normal operation
— Hamilton Place (@HamiltonPlaceTN) December 26, 2016
“Our investigation concluded that it was perpetrated a group of individuals who were setting off fireworks, possibly to cover up the actions of a shoplifting crime,” the Chattanooga Police Department stated.
Only minor injuries were reported in this incident.
And in Elizabeth, NJ, police were called to The Mills at Jersey Gardens Monday evening after witnesses mistakenly thought they heard gunfire. The loud bang was a chair being slammed to the ground during a fight.
Officer Greg Jones described the scene as a “chaotic panic and everybody running all at once.”
Two children, aged 8 and 12, were injured in this incident.
In an interview with the New York Times, Beachwood Police Department Captain Gary Haba spoke about the fight that broke out in Beachwood, OH.
“I don’t think there’s Dr. Evil sitting around in some chair somewhere directing everybody to do this,” said Capt. Haba. “It just seemed like kids showed up and they were waiting to start seeing some mayhem.”
