Halloween gone wild: Fights break out at NJ hayride, riot at Wawa
🎃 Students fought around Knight Park during a PTA haunted hayride event
🎃 A Wawa store was swarmed by over 80 people stealing items
🎃 No arrests were made
COLLINGSWOOD — Over 200 kids dropped off at school haunted house event began fighting and swarmed a Wawa Saturday night in what police said was part of a "riotous trend" in behavior.
Collingswood police said that trouble started after parents dropped their children off at Knight Park. They began to fight with each other, cut the line and run "recklessly” on the event grounds. Additional officers were brought to the park from surrounding towns to ensure the safety of the grounds and to escort people out. The decision was made to close the event early.
A group of 50-70 teens became disruptive and "took over" the Wawa store two blocks away on Haddon Avenue. Some of the teens shoplifted. The store was closed for several hours after the fight.
Police said about 80 teens at the park joined in a "massive fight" on Browning Road. Some of the teens kicked and punched officers and ran through the yards of residents, police said.
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PTA, police plan for future events
The situation was eventually brought under control and no arrests were made.
"Preparations have been in place for public events over the last several months and we have been able to avoid these issues. The borough will be reviewing and revising plans for public events given this new riotous trend," Mayor M. James Maley Jr. and police Chief Kevin Carey said in a joint statement.
The PTA said it was "mindful" of the situation and will do better at future events.
"Unfortunately, as everyone saw and realized a lot of the evening was beyond what could have been expected, but with the feedback and awareness we will review and organize to determine a way to move into next year," the group wrote on their Facebook page.
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