ORLANDO, Fla. — Chaos erupted at Icon Park in Orlando over the weekend after a large crowd of teenagers flooded the entertainment district, sparking fights and forcing some businesses to close early and prompting a heavy law enforcement response.
Video from the scene showed deputies rushing in as crowds scattered around the popular tourist destination.
Sixteen-year-old Essence Alexander said she and her family enjoy visiting Icon Park, but she watched the disorder unfold on social media.
“They were just fighting and running for no reason. Like people were fake shooting stuff, but nobody was even really shooting anything, and yet it was just causing a whole bunch of chaos,” Alexander said.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said more than 1,000 teenagers gathered at Icon Park on Saturday.
A total of 54 deputies responded, with two deputies injured while breaking up fights. Nine teens between the ages of 13 and 16 were arrested.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said deputies were ready for the gathering because these events are often promoted online in advance.
“Yeah, most times we know when they’re going to occur. A lot of times the venues will call us themselves because they see it on social media,” Mina said.
Alexander said takeover events are frequently advertised online.
“It’ll be like if they’re going to Aquatica, it’ll be like, ‘Aquatica Take Over H2O,’ it’ll be like, ‘We will take over,’ or stuff like that,” she said.
Some residents believe stricter supervision could help prevent future incidents.
Many entertainment venues across Central Florida already have youth chaperone policies in place.
Dezerland, another popular attraction in Orlando, requires guests 17 and under to be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older through its youth chaperone program.
Similar rules are used at some movie theaters, theme parks and arcades.
“You know, being supervised is definitely needed for sure for a lot of these kids,” Orlando resident Alex Ertmann said while visiting Icon Park.
The sheriff’s office said another teen takeover is planned for May 9 at Icon Park, and authorities are already preparing.
“May 9, and we’re aware of a future one. So, to those people who might plan on going there, just know that we are going to have dozens and dozens of deputy sheriffs there. We will have transport vans, ready to take you away in handcuffs if you break the law,” Mina said.
Icon Park did not immediately respond to requests for comment about whether it has any kind of youth chaperone program in place.
On its website, the attraction states that anyone under 14 years old must be accompanied by someone 14 years or older to ride the wheel attraction at the park.