Mall at Bay Plaza officials: Rumor about influencer appearance triggered teen rowdiness in viral videos
Police say no injuries were reported, but some shoppers near the mall say this latest incident points to a larger pattern.
Police say around 400 people flooded the Mall at Bay Plaza on Saturday evening.
It’s at least the second time in the last few months that police were called to the shopping center for alleged teenage rowdiness.
Viral videos on TikTok show mostly young New Yorkers running around the three floors of the mall, yelling, and swinging chairs with cops chasing after them.
Officials from the mall told News 12, “from our understanding, a group of young people came to the Mall based on a false rumor of a social media influencer being at the property.”
The mall also said the situation was resolved with the NYPD and mall security.
Police say no injuries were reported, but some shoppers near the mall say this latest incident points to a larger pattern.
During the 2024 holiday season, a brawl at the mall went viral.
In some parts of the city, businesses started enforcing curfews or banning minors, but youth advocates say that’s not a long-term solution.
Latanya DeVaughn is the creator of book-bus Bronx Bound Books and works with Bronx House, a community center located 15 minutes away from the mall.
DeVaughn formerly operated a book kiosk at the mall and says the majority of kids she encountered were polite and interested in reading.
“We were all teens once, but there were less cameras around when we were kids,” she said.
DeVaughn says that many young people lack access to “third places,” somewhere outside of their home or school where they can safely hang out with other kids and stay out of trouble.
Research from the American Economic Journal found that adolescents with access to third places were more likely to stay in high school, go on to college, and develop other interpersonal skills.
“They have a lot of energy, and they need a space where they can just be themselves and a space for them that's set up for them safely. Places like Bronx House offers a positive alternative for them to explore other things.”
