DENVER (KDVR) A weekend gathering of hundreds of teens at Northfield Mall escalated into chaos, prompting a police response and raising questions about safety and planning on social media.
According to the Denver Police Department, a group of approximately 300 juveniles assembled at the mall around 6 p.m. Saturday in what investigators describe as a “planned event” organized online. The group did not appear to be there to shop, and several witnesses said the teens quickly caused disturbances throughout the shopping center.
“Pandemonium, running through the mall it was kind of like a riot,” said Devin Donlon, a store manager at Zumiez.
Witnesses said fights broke out both inside stores and in surrounding areas. Ty McKay, who was at the mall at the time, described the scene as “unruly.”
“You saw kids getting jumped 10 people on one,” McKay said. “We just started breaking up fights, throwing kids off of kids.”
Donlon said his store was forced to close early for safety reasons, losing out on an hour of business.
“There were kids banging on my glass, trying to come in, destroy stuff, steal stuff,” he said. “They absolutely destroyed [another nearby store], throwing stuff off tables onto the floor, stealing things, running out with it.”
Police said no arrests were made, and no property damage was formally reported, though there was one report of two small items stolen from a business. Investigators are still working to determine whether that theft was connected to the group.
As officers worked to disperse the crowd, some juveniles reportedly moved into nearby neighborhoods near Central Park Boulevard and East 46th Avenue, where additional disturbances were reported.
While some community members criticized the lack of consequences, others said they understood the challenges law enforcement faced.
“It was too many kids,” McKay said. “You didn’t have the resources to make arrests like that. But we’ve got to figure out how to create a safe space for these kids how to make it inviting and safe.”
Police say they are continuing to investigate the incident.
