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19 juveniles, 1 adult charged for huge brawl at Arbor Place Mall, police say

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  September 20, 2022 10:45am EDT
Douglasville
FOX 5 Atlanta

"We're not finished yet!" Douglasville police promise to make more arrests in massive mall brawl

Douglasville police say they're committed to finding every child who participated in the massive fight at Arbor Place Mall.

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - Douglasville Police have arrested over a dozen juveniles and one adult connected with a huge brawl that broke out  in early September at Arbor Place Mall.

Authorities say they have been actively investigating the fight, which happened at the mall and the nearby Regal Cinemas on Saturday, Sept. 3.

At a press conference Tuesday morning, Douglasville Police Chief Gary Sparks said at when police arrived at the mall, they found around 200 young people involved in the chaos.

Sparks said since the brawl, the members of his department's special investigations unit have been looking through social media, gathering interviews, and reviewing video footage to identify suspects involved in the brawl.

In total, officers have arrested 19 juveniles and one adult for charges that range from disorderly conduct to simple battery to violation of the Georgia Street Gang and Terrorist Act. The youngest suspect facing charges is 12 years old. At least two of the suspects were arrested outside of Douglas County.

Investigators believe the fight may have started as a prank or an attempt to get hits on TikTok.

Sparks said his officers will continue to investigate and identify anyone involved.

"As we make more identifications we're going to make more arrests," he said. "You can run, but you can't hide."

Douglasville Mayor Rochelle Robinson said the city will "not tolerate" anyone who comes to the mall to start trouble and that "times have changed" since parents could just drop their teens off unsupervised in the 80s.

"We just pray that nothing else happens, but if it does, you are going to be held accountable," she said.

Video shows brawl breakout at mall

Cellphone video shows a brawl erupt on the second floor of Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville. One woman told FOX 5 she was at the mall with her three children when the huge fight broke out.

Arbor Place Mall fight caught on camera 

Cellphone video taken at the mall showed the chaotic scene as the brawl erupted on the second floor of the mall.

A woman who was at the mall with her three children said she was walking in the area when she heard the screams and saw people start running.

"I saw elderly people trying to get out of the way of the crowd. Immediately some of the store associates started closing down their gates," she said.

She grabbed her children and made her way to the parking lot, where people were fleeing in all directions.

In a Facebook post a few days after the violence, the Douglasville Police Department said that there will be charges coming for anyone involved in the fight who committed criminal acts.

The statement also told parents to be watchful of their children and their activities, know "who they are with, and where they go because a situation that is seemingly innocent can quickly turn negative as seen over this past weekend."

Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville, Georgia. (FOX 5)

Police said there was no evidence found of gunfire or anyone shot.

Officials say if you notice a crowd that is getting out of hand, call 911 before it turns into a problem. If you see something, say something by calling 911 and let officers check it out before it escalates into something unintended.