TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Twenty-two people from the ages of 12 to 21 were arrested Friday night at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa following a “teen takeover” event, according to the Tampa Police Department.

“This takeover put the community, the visitors, the residents and our police officers in harm’s way. This is unacceptable,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw.

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Those arrested were taken into custody for a wide variety of offenses, including affray (fighting), resisting arrest, gun possession and drug possession, according to police. Two firearms and a vehicle were also seized during police operations.

“Teen takeovers” are a growing social media trend where AI-generated images are created and shared via various platforms, encouraging young people to gather at a common location. Flyers have been spread with future events planned in places like Tampa, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg. Similar events have taken place in both Miami and Orlando, leading to arrests.

“We’re going to hold anyone, no matter who they are, accountable, if they’re going to come and wreak havoc in our city,” Bercaw said.

During Friday’s gathering, sports bar Tampa Burgers & Pirates reported damage, including flipped tables, broken furniture, and more. The business is located across the street from the event at Tampa’s waterfront park.

“They come out here, they cause a ruckus, they break our stuff. They kill the rest of our night for our production, and it’s not the best,” said Tony Khouri, the owner of Tampa Burgers & Pirates.

Khouri told 8 On Your Side that previous events have resulted in rocks being thrown through windows, and an unsafe environment for customers, as well as business-related issues.

“We’ve had rocks in the window before. We’ve had people come inside and flip the tables inside. It’s gotten pretty out of control,” Khouri said.

The Tampa Police Department reminds all who plan on participating in “teen takeovers” that detectives also monitor social media platforms and are aware of planned events.

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