Beachwood mall restricts teenage shoppers after mass disturbance causes a lockdown

The day after Christmas, Beachwood Place mall initiated a lockdown in response to a large disturbance which broke out around 6:30 p.m. Several hundred teenagers began rioting, causing shoppers to flee in panic. Police forces from Beachwood, South Euclid, Lyndhurst, and other nearby jurisdictions responded to reports of gunshots, which later proved to be false.

Senior Cassie Nguyen witnessed the incident. “I was at the Beachwood mall and instantly upon walking in, I found it strange just how many teenagers were there at one time. I knew people came to return failed Christmas presents and exchange for better items but many of them kept looking over their shoulders. During my half an hour in the mall I could see about five or six different police officers.”

“Also, the mall was more lively than usual with young adults running around and calling out to one another from opposites sides of the mall,” said Nguyen. “All of a sudden, just as I left with my parents, a wave of people rushed out and some of them shouted that there was a gun and many were being trampled by those running behind them. Police cars rushed in and I heard that people were being peppered sprayed inside.”

The incident, which reportedly started in the mall’s food court, involved more than 500 rowdy individuals, most of which were minors. Police believe the fights originated from coordination via social media.

In a recent article, the New York Times deems teenage boredom the culprit for the more than fifteen simultaneous mall disturbances across the country.

Captain Gary Haba of the Beachwood Police Department similarly attributes the occurrence to teenagers looking for some excitement over the holiday break.

“I don’t think there’s Dr. Evil sitting around in some chair somewhere directing everybody to do this,” said Haba. “It just seemed like kids showed up and they were waiting to start seeing some mayhem.”

To prevent similar events in the future, the upscale mall will implement the “Parental Guidance Required” program, effective January 6, 2017.

In reference to the new policy, Senior General Manager of Beachwood Place Neisha Vitello told Fox 8 News, “All are welcome at Beachwood Place at any time – we simply require that during certain weekend hours, families spend their shopping time together.”

The PGR program stipulates that all shoppers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old after 5:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Management intends to enforce the program on all mall property, including areas such as sidewalks and parking lots.

Starting at 4:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, mall officials will make announcements to provide unsupervised teenagers enough time to complete their purchases before PGR hours begin. At 5 p.m., public safety officers will check the IDs of all customers who appear to be minors. Those who do not meet the age requirement and those who do not have proof of age must remain with a supervising adult at all times, with a maximum of four minors per adult. Accepted forms of identification include a state-issued driver’s license or ID card, a school ID, a military ID, or a passport.

Customers who successfully provide identification showing they are at least 18 may choose to wear a wristband. During PGR hours, safety officers patrolling the mall will check IDs of individuals appearing underage and do not have a wristband.

When asked for her opinion on Beachwood Place’s new policy, Nguyen said, “I’m indifferent really. I don’t go many places without my parents.”

“I find it irritating that this rule exists, but it is not very bothersome personally because I do not go there a lot,” echoed Senior Alyssa Kropf.

Although the new policy does not bother some youth, others view it as an inconvenience. Recent Aurora graduate Mary Puzder commented on Fox 8 News’ article, saying, “Well, homecoming and prom dress shopping just got a bit more complicated. I'm so glad this wasn't in place when I was in High School!”

The Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Illinois, which experienced a similar disturbance, has implemented a nearly identical policy for parental supervision of minors during specific store hours.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Siraj Salauddin, a kiosk worker at the Fox Valley Mall, considers the parental escort policy an overreaction to the incident; in lieu of the restrictions he proposes simply increasing security at key locations on mall grounds. Salauddin also expressed the opinion that aggressive individuals will continue to fight despite the presence of their parents, who themselves may engage in disruptive behavior even as adults: "Parents don't think it's going to work," Salauddin said. "People who want to fight, always fight … even parents fight."