Raleigh police say ‘teen takeovers’ resulted in 9 injured during night of chaos
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Nine people were injured over the July Fourth holiday weekend.
- Police say at least 3,000 teens were at Brier Creek and 5,000 at Glenwood South.
- No arrests reported by Sunday night and police are asking the public for information.
Nine people were injured in Raleigh over the July Fourth holiday weekend as thousands of teens descended upon Brier Creek, then Glenwood South, in what Raleigh police describe as a “teen takeover.”
In a Sunday night statement, Raleigh police described massive scenes of chaos involving thousands of teens and numerous law enforcement agencies that took hours to “bring the situation under control.”
Among those hurt, two witnesses were injured with one struck by gunfire while another was hit by shattered glass during the shooting.
All nine who were injured don’t have life-threatening injuries, police said.
No one has been arrested as of Sunday night, and police are seeking assistance from the public.
“What happened across our city on the Fourth of July is both heartbreaking and unacceptable,” said Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce in a statement.
Police say the melees were part of a teen takeover, a social media trend that has been witnessed across the country where teens show up unannounced with the location shared over social media or other messaging. Some takeovers have involved weapons, fights and a police response, according to a CNN report.
In Raleigh, the teen takeover occurred on a weekend that already had extra staffing due to the holiday and the late-night fireworks and festivities, police said. Raleigh police said at least 300 officers were on duty July 4 and early July 5.
What happened in Raleigh Brier Creek teen takeover?
Here is how Raleigh police describe the sequence of events that began Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning:
Police arrived around 10:30 p.m. at Brier Creek, a massive retail and residential area in the northwestern part of Raleigh that’s divided by Glenwood Avenue. They responded to reports of a fight near the movie theater and stores west of Glenwood Avenue.
Police say at least 3,000 teens were there as part of a takeover, and after juveniles were removed from a store, “a large fight erupted outside,” according to the release.
Gunshots were fired, and the first two bystanders were injured, police said. A juvenile with a handgun was detained, police said, but police say the teen wasn’t responsible for the shooting.
What happened on Glenwood South?
Police say 5,000 people — teens who had reassembled after dispersing from Brier Creek — were involved in the takeover on Glenwood South, the southern part of Glenwood Avenue between Peace and Hillsborough streets.
Police say they responded to shootings in the nightlife district around 1:35 a.m. in two locations on Glenwood Avenue and two on adjacent streets.
The shootings occurred at 1:34 a.m., 2:05 a.m., 2:30 a.m. and 3:26 a.m.
Police have identified six people who were injured, including some who arrived at hospitals on their own.
Law enforcement from the following agencies helped bring the situation under control: Knightdale Police Department, Zebulon Police Department, Cary Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
Police responded to another shooting at 4:30 a.m. at 850 Capital Blvd. Two people were shot following a fight. Police haven’t said whether this incident is connected to the teen takeovers. No one has been arrested in this incident.
Police are asking for information related to the incidents by calling 919-996-1315.
“We remain committed to identifying those responsible, holding them accountable, and working alongside our community to prevent this from happening again,” Boyce said.
This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 11:44 PM.