Raleigh police report dozens arrested and nine injured after large-scale teen disturbances on July 4

Police said that thousands of teenagers converged on Raleigh's Glenwood South district and the Brier Creek shopping area during the Fourth of July weekend, resulting in street fights, several shootings and nine people injured. Court records show 27 individuals, aged 18 to 24, have been charged with offenses ranging from simple affray to assaulting a police officer, totaling 47 counts.

The disturbance began at the Brier Creek Commons shopping center, where an estimated 3,000 teens attended a block party. After the crowd was dispersed, a fight broke out and two adults were injured by gunfire and broken glass. Police later recovered a handgun from a juvenile in custody but did not link the youth to the shootings.

In the early hours of Sunday, officers responded to multiple shooting incidents in the Glenwood South area, with documented shots fired at 610 Glenwood Avenue (1:34 a.m.), 700 Tucker Street (2:05 a.m.), 14 Glenwood Avenue (2:30 a.m.) and 620 West Lane Street (3:26 a.m.). A related shooting at a gas station on Capital Boulevard also left two people injured.

Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce, who was on the scene Saturday night, said the events were "both heartbreaking and unacceptable" and pledged continued efforts to identify and hold accountable those responsible. He emphasized that public safety requires cooperation among law-enforcement, parents, community leaders and residents.

Local businesses in Glenwood South reported closing early for safety reasons. Milk Bar posted on Instagram that "gun violence and reckless behavior have no place in our nightlife scene," while Super Rad Retro Lounge expressed concern that the incidents reinforced negative stereotypes about the district. Both establishments thanked police and first responders for their actions.

Police investigations remain ongoing as authorities continue to search for the shooters involved in the three incidents.