Clearwater Beach Shooting Hospitalizes 17-Year-Old as Police Vow Crackdown on Social Media Teen Takeovers
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 1
Clearwater Beach Shooting Hospitalizes 17-Year-Old as Police Vow Crackdown on Social Media Teen Takeovers
6 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 1
A 17-year-old boy was shot around 5:15 p.m. Sunday on Coronado Drive during a Clearwater Beach gathering and was hospitalized with injuries police said were not life-threatening.
Hundreds of youths had gathered for a social media-organized "teen takeover," and police said gunfire erupted after a fight broke out.
Extra officers already deployed for the first weekend after school let out responded to several disturbances, detained several people and chased others who fled, though no charges or weapon recovery had been announced.
Deputy Chief Michael Walek said the department's threat unit had known about the meetup in advance and warned future gatherings would end in arrests, saying this would be the "last weekend" such behavior is tolerated.
Residents said repeated teen takeovers have become a years-long public safety and business problem, even as police insisted Clearwater Beach remains safe for families and visitors.
Social media hosts plans for these events. What is their responsibility when online gatherings turn violent offline?
As teen takeovers turn violent, can addressing youth mental health be more effective than police crackdowns?