CONCORD, N.C. — A large fight involving teens forced Concord Mills mall to close early Saturday night -- on one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year.
A store manager, who did not want to be identified, said two groups of more than 100 kids started fighting.
The mall told police several teenagers acted disorderly, leading several stores to close.
#ConcordMills mall management advised Concord Police that several juveniles/teens became disorderly to the point several stores decided to close on their own and later mall management made the decision to close. https://t.co/26bLjk0UNh
— Genevieve Curtis (@GenevieveWSOC9) November 29, 2020
Later, managers closed the entire mall early.
The manager said it’s becoming a safety issue at the mall and recent incidents are hurting dozens of small businesses.
“They come only once a year, the holiday season and, most of this year we’ve been paying rent, $1,300, $1,400 dollars,” the manager said. “Big money every month with nobody here because of the COVID.”
There were no reports of any arrests.
“They shouldn’t be out here,” shopper Tonya Philpot said. “This is a happy time of year. Everybody’s
stressed enough.”
Some store owners want more police presence and possibly a curfew for teenagers.
This is the second major disturbance at the mall in less than a week. Last week, two men argued near one of the entrances, and one of them had a gun.
No shots were fired, but officers said both men and other people nearby started running from the mall.
Police took the man with the gun into custody, but they haven’t identified him or said if he’s facing any charges.
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