A 500+ crowd of mostly minority teens took over a Colorado shopping center on Sunday and immediately started vandalizing and stealing from shops.
The multicultural crowd of kids aged between 14 and 17 gathered at the Hoffman Heights shopping center in Aurora because of “an unpermitted sporting event,” according to The Denver Post.
After arriving, some of the teens “went into nearby businesses, including a restaurant and grocery store, and vandalized property and stole merchandise.”
One of the businesses that was hit was a Burger King:
Large group of teenagers took over burger king store in Aurora Colorado. Yesterday a youtuber had a big event and many came out. But many teenagers started fighting and causing issues. Then they walked over to nearby businesses to cause more issues. When this happens nothing… pic.twitter.com/e11sOLJ0nR
— Colorado 411 (@Colorado411_420) August 31, 2026
The police eventually declared an unlawful assembly and deployed over 70 officers to disperse the crowd.
“If you commit a crime in a crowd, you should expect us to use every tool that we have available to work to identify you and hold you accountable,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a statement. “This crossed the line from a gathering of young people into a police matter because of the behavior and criminal conduct of some of those involved.”
“We will not tolerate groups taking over roadways, disrupting businesses, damaging property or stealing under the belief that being part of a large crowd provides anonymity. It does not,” he added.
Chamberlain also slammed the parents of the teens.
“We also need parents and guardians to understand the role they play,” he said. “Know where your children are, who they are with and what they are being invited to through social media. When hundreds of young people suddenly gather and behavior begins to escalate, the consequences can become serious very quickly.”
“Police officers should not have to be pulled away from other community emergencies to manage behavior that could have been prevented,” he concluded.
@tritsiearlete #khanasadi #aurora #colorado #fyp #parati ♬ original sound – TritsieArlete
According to the New York Post, the supposed “sporting event” was organized by online influencer Grady Ferrick as a means to market a vitamin brand.
“Ferrick, a one-time Division III basketball player at NYC’s Houghton University, has over 362,000 Instagram followers,” according to the Post. “He shared photos of himself amongst the younger crowd in the shopping center parking lot, standing on top of a U-Haul truck and aboard a purple school bus.”
This latest “teen takeover” comes just weeks after another mob of teens broke into a family-owned Los Angeles market store and caused over $30,000 in damages.
Nathan Abdullatif, the owner of A-Z Market, wrote in a GoFundMe fundraiser that the break-in happened during a so-called “street takeover” involving 100-150 cars and a “group of individuals” equipped with power tools.
Using the tools, the “group” broke through the store’s front window and security gate, after which dozens of hooligans reportedly stormed the store and ransacked it. In the process, they broke windows, damaged fixtures, and stole goods.
Dozens of looters broke into and ransacked a family-owned business during a street takeover in Bellflower, California on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/2FpeyHLBLq
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 18, 2026
The break-in led to damages totaling roughly $30,000.
“A-Z Market is more than just a store to us—it is our livelihood and a place we have worked hard to build and serve our local community,” Abdullatif wrote in the fundraiser. “We are asking for your support to help us repair the damage, replace the stolen merchandise, and get our business back on its feet.”
Speaking with local station KABC, Abdullatif called the attack on his family store “heartbreaking.”
“It was so shocking. It doesn’t even feel real,” he said. “You always see this in the media. You always see this in other places but when it happens to you – and everything you’ve built over the years – it’s just very hard.”
He and his co-owner, Steven, were especially shocked at how the thugs seemed to enjoy ruining their business.
“I’ve seen them coming in the store, looting, jumping all over. They went over the counter, broke it. It’s like they are having fun doing this thing,” Abdullatif told CBS News. “Within 10 minutes, all your hard working going off; it breaks my heart. We’ve built it with the whole family. My mom, dad, brother, sister; we’ve built it with love.”
“I was in shock. Total shock,” Steven added. “It was devastating.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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