Scores of teenagers have fought inside a mall in Philadelphia and it was believed by authorities that the altercations were planned via Snapchat. A total of four teenagers were arrested in the incident.
CBS reported that the mall where the teenagers gathered was at Philadelphia Mills in Northeast Philadelphia. The fights took place on Tuesday evening and authorities from the Philadelphia Police Department said that this is the second night that such chaos took place at a Philadelphia-area mall.
In the Tuesday event, around 200 teens arrived via SEPTA bus. However, officials were already in the vicinity to try and stop the teens from making any ruckus.
Most of the teens were able to be blocked from the outside of the mall but around 30 were able to make it inside. Some of the shoppers and mall employees took shelter inside the stores. The 30 teens got in the food court and started to act disorderly. The teens were screaming, shouting and yelling.
The crowd dispersed at around 7:00 p.m. No injuries were reported but one teen reportedly attempted to punch an officer in uniform.
Boston Globe added that three teenage boys were arrested and it was unclear why earlier reports said there were four people arrested. Earlier this week, teenagers gathered at a Fox Valley Mall and acted disorderly as well.
In Manchester, Connecticut, seven people were arrested after making disturbances at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. A total of 10 teenagers were involved in the fights. A similar incident took place at a mall in Beachwood, Ohio. One was arrested for assaulting a police officer. Other similar incidents were reported in North Carolina, Arizona, Illinois, New York, Texas and Pennsylvania.
The investigation is ongoing as to whether these incidents are linked. It remains unclear how the fights started but it is believed that it was spread via social media. Due to the incidents, other mall operators have increased the presence of security.
