26-05-2025
300 Teens Force Shutdown of Popular New Jersey Carnival
For the second time in two weeks, a massive impromptu gathering of teens shut down an event in New Jersey.
According to reports, hundreds of teens congregated at the Woodbridge Center Carnival in Woodbridge, N.J. Saturday night, causing the premature shutdown of the event. The meetup was reportedly planned and spread on TikTok.
The Woodridge Police Department was called to the scene at around 9 p.m. Saturday to deal with the crowd of roughly 300 youths, according to RLS Media. However, the group "quickly became unmanageable," resulting in Woodbridge police requesting assistance from neighboring departments.
Officers began to disperse the teens, but some made their way to the nearby Woodbridge Center Mall, which triggered responses from owners and shoppers.
"Store owners temporarily locked their doors to protect patrons, and several individuals were detained for disorderly conduct," RLS Media wrote.
Saturday's incident was similar to one that occurred earlier this month at Menlo Park Mall in Edison, less than eight miles away from the Woodbridge Carnival.
During that event on May 17, more than 300 youth were drawn to the mall by a series of TikTok and Instagram videos calling for a gathering. After things deteriorated into a brawl, authorities were called and several teens were arrested.
One minor was taken in for aggravated assault on an officer and six others were charged with disorderly conduct. An Edison police officer reportedly suffered a fractured ankle in the chaos.
Following Saturday's commotion, some of the assembled teens made their way town Route 1 in the direction of Menlo Park Mall, resulting in Edison police reportedly showing up at the mall to prevent a repeat of the prior week's events.
These out-of-control get-togethers are part of a disturbing nationwide trend on social media, which involves viral videos and posts calling for teens to meet at the same location at a given time. Predictably, these encounters turn wild, resulting in the cops being called.
300 Teens Force Shutdown of Popular New Jersey Carnival first appeared on Men's Journal on May 26, 2025
