Raleigh mayor considers youth curfew following teen takeover, violent July 4th weekend
The mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, is weighing whether to impose a curfew for minors following a series of shootings and chaotic events over the Independence Day weekend, in which several fights broke out and nine people were shot amid a series of teen takeovers across the country.
The violence over the holiday weekend prompted Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell to tell WRAL News she's considering enacting a curfew for those aged 17 and under.
"As Mayor, I am grateful for the actions of the Raleigh Police officers in response to the situations of juvenile violence across the city on the night of July 4 and the morning of July 5," Cowell told the news outlet. "Clearly, Raleigh is not exempt from the incidents of youth violence that are occurring across the country. We need to talk with the youth, their parents, schools, and the broader community to understand the root causes and to better coordinate strategies."
One approach, she said, may be a youth curfew for those 17 years old and under, which other cities in North Carolina have implemented. City leaders were exploring "many approaches" that are expected to be discussed at Tuesday's City Council meeting, the mayor said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Cowell's office.
Around 5,000 teenagers showed up in Brier Creek and another 5,000 in Glenwood South, with half residing outside the city, the Raleigh Police Department said Sunday.
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Raleigh police officers initially responded just after 10:05 p.m. Saturday to reports of a fight near a movie theater and nearby stores. The incident stemmed from a "teen takeover," a social media-driven phenomenon where massive crowds of youths coordinate to suddenly congregate at public spaces like beaches, malls, or restaurants.
A large fight broke out, followed by gunshots. One adult was shot and another was injured by shattered glass caused by the shooting, police said. A juvenile was found with a gun and detained, but investigators don't believe the teen was one of the shooters.
Hours later, at 1:35 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to multiple shootings. Six people were shot but were expected to survive.
At around 4:30 a.m., two people were shot following a fight at a gas station, police said. They were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests were made.
Investigations into the shootings are ongoing, police said.
In a Monday post on X, Cowell called teen takeovers a "disturbing national trend."
"Now in #raleighnc . Grateful to @raleighpolice for bringing back order & protecting public. @raleighgov & whole community have work ahead to engage with youth to prevent future occurrences," she wrote.
An Instagram post from Milk Bar, a bar in the Glenwood South area, said the actions of a few ruined the peace for patrons in the area.
"While we had zero safety incidents inside Milk Bar, we made the proactive decision alongside other businesses to close our doors, to protect our patrons and staff from the surrounding unrest," the post states. "Gun violence and reckless behavior have no place in our nightlife scene. WE CAN DO BETTER, RALEIGH!"