Crime & Safety
Fight, Shooting As Hundreds Of Juveniles Crowd The Pike Mall: Police
A woman and girl were arrested after fighting in a large crowd and a 16-year-old boy was shot, according to police.
![Saturday night was a violent one for The Pike mall, according to police.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/920517/20240317/095823/styles/patch_image/public/screen-shot-2024-03-17-at-84956-pm___17215035247.png)
LONG BEACH, CA — A social media meet-up drew hundreds of young people to The Pike in Long Beach on Saturday, according to police, who said that despite law enforcement's precautions, the evening devolved into violence.
A woman and girl were fighting in a large crowd around 5:40 p.m. at Bay Street and Aquarium Way, according to police, who arrested both females. Less than an hour later, a 16-year-old boy was shot outside the shopping center at First Street and The Promenade, police said.
The teen was rushed to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his lower body that was not believed to be life-threatening, according to police. No motive or suspect information was immediately available.
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“Our officers were prepared and extremely visible throughout the downtown area,” Chief Wally Hebeish said in a prepared statement on Facebook.
Police declared a Stage 2 tactical alert to ensure proper staffing and some businesses at the mall closed early out of an abundance of caution, according to authorities.
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City News Service contributed to this story.
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