Hundreds of teenagers flooded a Colorado grocery store over the weekend, leaving behind damage and rattling shoppers and workers, according to authorities.
Police said the disturbance unfolded Sunday afternoon at a King Soopers on Peoria Street in Aurora, where a large crowd of teens entered the store, damaged property and took merchandise.
Social media video showed teens carrying stolen tables, throwing food items on the floor, and running around the aisles as shoppers attempted to complete their grocery runs.
The group, described by police as roughly 500 youths between the ages of 14 and 17, spread through the store, packing the main aisles as some screamed, laughed and created chaos inside.
‘It was like a nightmare,’ an employee who asked not to be identified told KDVR. ‘Everybody was littering over here… It was like a lot of people. And I talked to security and they said yeah we are taking care of it. But obviously not.’
They would later flee in large groups to local businesses, including a Burger King down the street, where they stood on tables, jumped around, and appeared to sing a song, a social media video showed.
‘While some simply ran through the businesses, others vandalized property and stole merchandise,’ the Aurora Police Department said.
Aurora police said about 70 officers were sent to multiple locations as they worked to restore order, a response the department said took several hours.
A group of about 500 teenagers descended on a King Soopers in Aurora, Colorado, on Sunday
Police said some teens allegedly stole merchandise and damaged property
‘The size of the response required the department to redirect a significant number of on-duty resources that otherwise would have been available to respond to calls for service throughout Aurora,’ it said in a statement.
Chief Todd Chamberlain said the gathering started as a social media-organized unpermitted sporting event, but it quickly became a ‘significant public safety issue.’
‘This crossed the line from a gathering of young people into a police matter because of the behavior and criminal conduct of some of those involved,’ he said in a statement.
‘We will not tolerate groups taking over roadways, disrupting businesses, damaging property or stealing under the belief that being part of a large crowd provides anonymity. It does not.’
Police are working to identify the teens who engaged in criminal behavior.
The department also encouraged parents to ‘understand the role they play’ and to ‘know where your children are, who they are with, and what they are being invited to through social media.’
‘When hundreds of young people suddenly gather and behavior begins to escalate, the consequences can become serious very quickly,’ Chamberlain said.
‘Police officers should not have to be pulled away from other community emergencies to manage behavior that could have been prevented.
Food was seen all over the floor as the teens laughed and yelled as they ran through the store
Police said the group congregated for an unpermitted sporting event nearby before they started terrorizing local businesses
‘The overwhelming majority of young people in our community make good decisions every day. But a crowd can create a false sense of anonymity and encourage individuals to make decisions they might never make on their own,’ he continued.
‘If you commit a crime in a crowd, you should expect us to use every tool that we have available to work to identify you and hold you accountable.’
Jessica Trowbridge, a spokesperson for King Soopers, told Our News Outlet that the company was ‘extremely disappointed by the disruptive actions of a large group of individuals that stormed our store.’
‘We are grateful for the swift and professional response from the Aurora Police Department, whose quick action helped resolve the situation. The safety of our associates and customers is a priority, and we take this matter seriously,’ she said.
‘We also want to recognize our store associates who were present during this unwelcome activity; we are genuinely thankful for their composure, patience, and support of each other and our customers.’
Our News Outlet has reached out to Burger King and the Aurora Police Department for comment.
The King Soopers incident is just another in the growing number of disruptive crimes taking place in Aurora.
Last month, a man tore apart a beloved garden and beehive, despite residents calling police for help.
They also took over a Burger King, where they jumped around and yelled
The teens also stood on tables at the food establishment on Sunday
Worku Woldemariam, 42, allegedly ripped apart an urban garden on E 16th Avenue in Aurora, Colorado, on August 8 after he was accused of vandalizing a sheriff’s office, a local market, a Starbucks, and an ice cream shop over several days.
Multiple locals told Denver 7 News that they called 911 to report Woldemariam, who has a lengthy criminal record, but were left waiting for hours.
The day he allegedly destroyed the garden, locals reported Woldemariam around 1pm; however, officers were not dispatched until nearly 4pm, according to the outlet.
The suspect allegedly spent those three hours using rocks to smash beehives and rip out crops as horrified locals helplessly watched on.
