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Tinley Park mayor vows to tighten crowd protocols after teen ‘flash mob’ causes ‘general chaos’ at carnival

By Sun-Times Media Wire
Published  May 23, 2023 8:42pm CDT
Tinley Park
Sun-Times Media Wire

Hundreds of teenagers ’cause chaos’ at Tinley Park carnival

Hundreds of teenagers gathered at the Tinley Park Armed Forces Weekend Carnival and caused chaos Saturday night after a call-out on social media. Nate Rodgers reports.

TINLEY PARK, Ill. - Large events in suburban Tinley Park will have tighter security and stricter rules after a carnival last weekend was canceled early due to "general chaos" caused by hundreds of teens lured by social media, the village’s mayor said.

More than 400 teens descended on the town’s Armed Forces Weekend Carnival on Saturday night. A police officer was injured trying to break up a fight, and five teens were cited for fighting in public.

MORE: Teenagers jump on cars and brawl, forcing cancelation of Tinley Park Armed Forces Carnival

Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz vowed to tighten measures at large events after Sunday’s festivities were canceled to avoid further issues. He called the flash mob a "growing trend that we must be prepared for."

Bag checks, clear boundaries at events and youth supervision requirements will be implemented at other events in Tinley Park, Glotz said in a statement Tuesday.

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Carnival chaos: Teens take over suburban event, fallout continues

Fallout from the carnival chaos in Tinley Park over the weekend continues, as other towns take another look at safety for the summer.

"It’s a sad reality, but gone are the days when we could hold an open event of this size without these measures in place," the statement reads.

As news of the "flash mob" spread on social media, Glotz said some comments targeted the race of some of the teens and added that the city doesn’t condone hate speech.

Anyone who had tickets to last Sunday’s event can contact Windy City Amusements at (630) 443-4547 or the Tinley Park Chamber of Commerce at (708) 532-5700 to request a refund, Glotz said.