One juvenile arrested before teen ‘takeover event’ at Short Pump Town Center

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- One juvenile was arrested before the teen "takeover event" at Short Pump Town Center on Saturday evening.

On Saturday, March 14 at around 7:10 p.m., Henrico Police was notified by mall security at Short Pump Town Center, located at 11800 W. Broad Street, of a large gathering of juveniles in front of a store.

The initial report said that some of the juveniles may have been fighting, and as mall security and police officers, who were already on scene, approached the group, the group of teenagers began to run through the mall.

As more officers arrived on the scene, there were reports of gunshots. However, this turned out to be false, but it caused many of the juveniles to run throughout the mall and into the roads surrounding Short Pump Town Center, including W. Broad Street.

There were no injuries reported from this incident.

The investigation stated that a social media post for a "takeover event" caused a large crowd of middle and high-school-aged juveniles.

Several dozen teenagers gathered in groups and ran to different areas throughout the mall after being dropped off at Short Pump Town Center and left unsupervised.

Henrico Police are actively working with mall security to continue investigating the situation.

Henrico Police said multiple officers were already at the mall from a shoplifting incident at Dick's Sporting Goods that occurred at 5:47 p.m.

A juvenile male was arrested and taken into custody with petitions of shoplifting and obstruction of justice obtained against him, according to the release.

"Henrico Police encourages parents and guardians to stay informed about where their children are going and what they are doing. Parents and caregivers play a key role in helping youth make responsible choices when they are unsupervised," the release stated. "Large 'takeover events' are a growing nationwide trend, and community awareness is key to ensuring everyone remains safe."

Anyone with information is asked to email police@henrico.gov.