RALEIGH, N.C. — Independence Day turned into a nightmare of flying bullets and street fights in North Carolina’s capital as thousands of unruly youths hijacked popular nightlife and shopping spots in what police are calling “teen takeovers.”
The mayhem began around 10:27 p.m. Saturday at Brier Creek Commons, where roughly 3,000 teens and young people gathered. A fight broke out near the Regal movie theater and Target after a group was kicked out of a store. Gunfire erupted shortly after. Two innocent bystanders, adults enjoying a nearby Star-Spangled Block Party were hit: one by a bullet, the other by shattered glass from a car window. Both survived.
Police detained one juvenile with a handgun, but investigators say he wasn’t the shooter.
The mob then shifted to Glenwood South, the bustling entertainment strip. There, an estimated 5,000 people, again mostly teens and young 20-somethings, turned the streets into a battleground. Fights broke out everywhere. Multiple rounds of gunfire rang out. Six more people were injured.
By the time cops and reinforcements from neighboring departments finally restored order around 4:30 a.m. Sunday, after a related shooting on Capital Boulevard, nine people in total had been shot or hurt in the violence. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
Shocking video from the Glenwood South chaos shows massive crowds swarming the streets at night, flashing police lights cutting through the darkness, scuffles breaking out, and officers struggling to detain rowdy groups amid the pandemonium. One clip captures the tense atmosphere with people on the ground and law enforcement trying to regain control of the popular strip.
Court documents later revealed that at least 27 people were arrested in the Glenwood South mayhem alone, facing a combined 47 charges ranging from simple affray (fighting) to assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. Most of those charged were between 18 and 24 years old.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce didn’t mince words: “What happened across our city on the Fourth of July is both heartbreaking and unacceptable.”
Business owners on Glenwood South were furious. One popular spot slammed the “hundreds, if not thousands, of underage kids” fighting in the streets and actively looking for trouble, forcing early closures and leaving regular patrons in fear. “We cannot be another tale of a thriving city turning into a chaotic mess at night,” the business posted.
This wasn’t some spontaneous gathering. These “teen takeovers”, flash-mob-style events often organized on social media, have become a recurring headache in cities across America. In Raleigh, police said many participants came from outside the city. Some were armed.
Scanner traffic even captured officers dealing with their own injuries while breaking up fights, including one with a bleeding arm and others hit during the chaos.
Residents and business owners are left asking the same question echoing across the viral footage and social media: We do not have to live like this.
Raleigh police are still reviewing hours of security video to identify the shooters and more suspects. The investigation is active.
For one night, the fireworks weren’t the only things lighting up the sky in Raleigh.
