(This story was updated to add new information.)
A “teen takeover” of the Mall at Wellington Green didn’t materialize on Friday, June 5, despite a publicized social-media call for one to happen.
A takeover is a new trend where young people gather for events across the U.S. in spaces like malls, beaches and parks. The crowds of people they draw can number in the hundreds.
Some takeovers have led to fights and even shootings, raising concerns among authorities and parents. The shooting of a teenager in Florida, a death in Illinois and multiple arrests in states such as New Hampshire and Virginia led many families in the Wellington area to post warnings on social media this week.
A flyer on TikTok called for the teen takeover to start at 2:30 p.m.
The mall, however, was quiet as that hour neared with moms and their children filling its corridors. Electric traffic signs posted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in the mall’s parking lot told shoppers the takeover would not happen.
Guards with PSC Security, which serves the mall, were heard asking teens at the mall if they had come for the takeover. One officer said small groups were spotted in the food court and near the mall’s main entrance, but nothing on the scale normally associated with these events.
Five PBSO deputies sat in the food court as the afternoon reached 2:30 p.m., taking advantage of the setting and the hour to eat lunch. Families took up several tables nearby.
Valentina Palm and Emmy Bailey are journalists at The Palm Beach Post. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mall at Wellington Green braced for ‘teen takeover’ that didn’t happen
Reporting by Valentina Palm and Emmy Bailey, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Valentina Palm and Emmy Bailey, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
