Police have had to break up mall fights across the country, including in New York. (Getty)
Ever since Christmas, there’s been an epidemic of fights breaking out in local malls across the United States. Some have seemingly happened spontaneously and some were reportedly planned on social media. They’ve taken place in malls in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Colorado, and all over the country. Are any new fights being planned?
Here’s a list of cities where fights have broken out since malls reopened the day after Christmas, in alphabetical order by city. Do you see a mall we missed? Let us know in the comments below.
Atlanta, Georgia: Lenox Square Mall Fight
A big fight broke out in Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta. You can watch a video of the fight below. This fight actually happened on Christmas Eve. Most of the fights have been breaking out on December 26 or later.
The fight happened at Topshop clothing and at least one person was arrested, CBS 46 reported.
Aurora, Illinois: Fox Valley Mall Fight
Aurora also saw a huge fight at Fox Valley Mall during after-Christmas shopping. Seven juveniles were arrested, ABC 7 reported.
Beachwood, Ohio Mall Brawl & Stampede
A mall brawl broke out on Dec. 26 in Beachwood, Ohio, Breaking 911 reported. One juvenile was arrested on suspicions of assaulting a police officer. There were false reports at the time of a shooting inside the mall, causing a stampede of people trying to get out and a mall lockdown. Later, police said the brawl had been “loosely organized” on social media before it happened.
You can read Heavy’s story about the Beachwood Mall disturbance below:
Chattanooga, Tennessee: Fireworks at a Hamilton Place Mall
On December 26, a mall in Chattanooga was evacuated after reports of a shooting. But it turned out that teens had set off fireworks in an attempt to distract people from a shoplifting attempt, Breaking 911 reported. You can read Heavy’s story about the incident below.
Denver, Colorado: Town Center Aurora Fights
On December 26 around 4:45 p.m., about 500 people were involved in skirmishes and fights in Town Center Aurora, Breaking 911 reported. Five juveniles were arrested. It all started with a small fight in the food court. But every on-duty officer in the city had to be called in for backup when police went to break up the fight and a large crowd of people surrounded them.
East Garden City, New York: Roosevelt Field Mall
All clear given after FALSE reports of shooting at Roosevelt Field Mall. Some shoppers got locked in stores. Watch @News12LI for updates.
A fight broke out in East Garden City on Dec. 26, Breaking 911 reported. The fight was originally reported as a shooting, which caused a panic in the mall.
Elizabeth, New Jersey: The Mills at Jersey Gardens Panic
Panic took over at The Mills at Jersey Gardens on Dec. 26, Breaking 911 reported. Someone slammed down a chair, causing someone to yell “Gun!” Panic ensued as people rushed to escape. About 10 people were injured. In this video, you can see people running for the exit:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOfwyogB_bh/
Fayetteville, North Carolina: Cross Creek Mall
A fight broke out in Fayetteville on Dec. 26, Breaking 911 reported, and the mall was temporarily evacuated. As a result of the incident, teens are barred from the mall after 5 p.m., WITN-TV reported.
Fort Worth, Texas: Hulen Mall Brawl
A fight broke out in Fort Worth on Dec. 26 at the Hulen Mall. You can see a video of the fight above. ABC News reported that 60 officers were needed to break up a fight that broke out among at least 100 teens. Officials are now saying that this fight was likely organized on social media and may be linked to similar fights that happened on Monday, Fox 4 reported.
Manchester, Connecticut: The Shoppes at Buckland Hills Fight
Meanwhile, in Manchester, CT, seven people were arrested after a fight broke out at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. The fight got very heated, as you can see in the video above.
Monroeville, Pennsylvania
A fight broke out in Monroeville on Dec. 26, Breaking 911 reported.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Mills Mall Brawl
On Tuesday night, two days after Christmas on December 27, Philadelphia residents learned that the mall fighting wasn’t limited to the day after Christmas. A large group of teens took part in what may have been a Snapchat-planned fight at the Philadelphia Mills Mall around 6:45 p.m. local time, Breaking 911 reported. Hundreds arrived on a bus, but only about 40 were able to get inside the mall. They went to the food court area, running around, screaming and yelling. Three teens were arrested.
Here’s what the police chief inspector had to say about the fight in Philadelphia:
Tempe, Arizona
A fight broke out in Tempe on Dec. 26, Breaking 911 reported.
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin: Mayfair Mall Fight
Two fights broke out in Wauwatosa too. One witness told TMJ4 that he saw a girl spit on another, and then they just started fighting. “My best bet was to record it,” he said. He recorded the fight and then shared it on Facebook. It took place right outside Barnes & Noble. Other people caught the fight on video too and shared it online. Here’s another video of one of the fights:
Have you heard of any other mall fights not listed in this story? Let us know in the comments below.
