By SÍLE MOLONEY
A HIVE OF customers swarm the H&M at the new Bay Plaza Mall in Co-Op City. Doors opened August 14, 2014.
File Photo
Eighteen people were taken into custody on Monday, Feb. 16, police said, after around one hundred teens participated seemingly in an organized “takeover” of The Mall at Bay Plaza in the Baychester section of The Bronx after school. When contacted for details of the charges / summonses, if any, the NYPD said that is still being worked out. Norwood News will share more information as it becomes available. In videos shared on social media by different users, some teens are seen on the ground outside The Mall being cuffed by police, while in others, a swarm of cops are seen flooding the area.
In other videos, the teens, many dressed in dark clothing and hoodies, are seen storming The Mall and inside what looks like a McDonalds, some are seen jumping on tables and generally running wild. In another video, they are seen throwing chairs inside a restaurant and in another, one is seen outside The Mall throwing a shopping cart against a glass door.
In yet another video clip, seemingly of the aftermath of the incident, a window or possibly a glass door of a business in seen shattered and staff are seen inside the business, possibly a McDonalds, wiping down tables and cleaning up, at that point, an empty business. In another, teens are seen running after a group of other teens, shouting, holding up their phones, and filming one youngster who appears to be on the ground getting trampled on. It’s unclear if the person fell or if it was a fight or something else. In another video, teens are seen seemingly trying to enter a store as an apparent store employee attempts to close it.
In accompanying text included across one of the videos shared online, the seemingly organized takeover was described as a “success” by the account user. In other videos, it was mentioned that several teens were arrested. A flier that had reportedly been circulating online prior to the event according to some shared videos reads, “Bay Plaza Take Over, Monday, Starts at 2:00 Ends until we get kicked out. DM for more info.” The origin of the flier is unclear. In other videos posted online, the commotion appeared to spill over inside an MTA bus as some of the teens made their way home.
Snippets from at least some of the videos were shared on some drill rap-related user accounts on social media possibly with the aim of gaining more followers. In a separate post on one of the drill-rap related accounts, the account user appears to appreciate that during a Coney Island press conference held the same day as the takeover i.e. Feb. 16, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recalled listening to drill rap artist, Pop Smoke, in prior years while enjoying the amusement rides.
“NYC MAYOR IS A FAN OF NYC DRILL😭🔥‼️ RIP POP SMOKE… nahhh chat I’m starting to fw our new mayor heavy now😂😂😂” the quote read in part while tagging both the mayor and other drill rap groups.
The mayor was in Coney Island announcing the creation of a new Business Improvement District (BID) for the area, and while standing in front of the amusement park, he said in part, “I love roller coasters. I was on the Phoenix [ride] like four months ago. I’m a big fan of Coney Island, big fan of roller coasters… also, a big fan of the bumper cars that you can go on, just not too far from the boardwalk.”
He added, “Many a memory listening to Pop Smoke while being in those bumper cars. I would say 10 out of 10 recommend Cyclone [another ride], also incredible. All of these things around me are great. Slingshot [ride] is a little too much for me.” Norwood News has reached out to the mayor’s office for a comment on the Bay Plaza incident and will share any feedback we receive.
Meanwhile, a young, female, Black TikTok user who has over 36,000 followers and 4.3 million likes on her account, took to social media late on Monday night to berate those who participated in the apparent takeover. Her video heading read, “Bay Plaza Takeover is Sherm & if you’re going, you’re embarrassing.” It was followed by several crying emojis.
According to Google, Sherm is a slang word that can be used as a derogatory term for a “degenerate” or someone not worthy of respect, or it can refer to a marijuana cigarette or tobacco cigarette dipped in liquid PCP (phencyclidine) or sometimes embalming fluid, a potent, dangerous street drug known to cause severe hallucinations and violent behavior. The term originates from Nat Sherman cigarettes.
The young woman said in part in her accompanying video, “Why don’t we have sh*t in The Bronx? This is why, Bro! This is now the second time that y’all have done this sh*t! Are y’all aware that there’s a reason that that is one of the only malls we have in The Bronx? Are y’all aware that there’s nothing to do here for a reason?”
Seemingly exasperated, the young woman continued, “Y’all wonder why people say ‘Oh the [inaudible / Sky zone?] isn’t going to last long.’ This is why! Why’s there no places for kids to hang out? This is why! People don’t want to run afterschool programs and places for kids because y’all act like this, Bro, for no reason. Y’all play exactly into the stereotype and it’s sad, Bro! A bunch of Black and brown kids going to raid the f*cking mall… that’s embarrassing as f*ck! Where are y’all parents, Bro? Y’all parents need to get in trouble for this, I’m sorry.”
She continued, “These kids nowadays got a mind of their own but nah, their parents need to start getting in trouble for this sh*t so they can really start to crack down on these motherf*ckers. Y’all are sherm! You are as childish as f*ck! If you’re going to go raid that mall, you are childish. Nobody with any common sense or even the smallest bit of smarts is going to go do that. Y’all broke through the movie theater last year. Y’all robbed stores. Y’all broke store windows, all of that. What do you guys gain out of that? Talkin’ about there’s not sh*t for kids in New York. Guess why? Y’all are ghetto and f*cking untamed.”
The teen added, “Y’all’s parents did not raise y’all right. I’m only 18 years old, Bro, and I’m seeing people who are 17, 16 doing this sh*t! I’m scared for y’all! Y’all’s futures are genuinely cooked, Bro! Your future is genuinely cooked if you think this sh*t is swag.” The user went on to suggest that the parents of the affected kids needed to enforce more discipline at home. “You 15, 16 years old doing sh*t like this? Yeah, no! You clearly not going to learn. You clearly too far gone. I would’ve thrown your asses out the frame,” she said.
NEW YORK CITY Mayor Zohran Mamdani address those gathered at Coney Island’s Amusement Park for the launch of a new Coney Island Business Improvement District (BID) on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
Screenshot courtesy of the Mayor’s office
The user continued, “This sh*t is sad, Bro. Hear y’all go givin’ ’em more shit to say about Hispanic and Black people. This is why we’ll never win. Certain people from our communities just do dumb sh*t. I hope the police come and just start charging everyone. I hope every single police force in the f*cking New York f*cking State goes to that mall and cuffs everyone, every single last one of y’all b*tches, and put every single one of y’all asses in jail no matter how old…jail, probation, f*cking JuV all o’ that.”
She added, “I’m sick of y’all. I really, really, really am because, Bro, what’s the point of this? What do y’all gain from this?” The user continued saying that last year, when the movie theater was broken into, one possibility discussed afterwards by officials was to have minors carry IDs and also have them accompanied by an adult to get into the mall. “Once ya’ll do this now, ya’ll think they’re NOT gonna make this sh*t happen? C’mon! Now, y’all little kids really not gonna have nowhere to f*ckin’ go!” Her post had garnered nearly half a million views as of Monday night.
Also on Monday, the New York Daily News reported that the NYPD/FDNY rescued a 16-year-old boy who was trapped 50 feet down a shaft on the NYC Queensboro bridge, following a TikTok stunt the same day.
As reported, Suave Drilly, a drill rap artist from the Norwood area of the Bronx, was shot dead in the South Bronx last year. Norwood News reported in April 2022 that Suave Drilly, then 23, was in custody and awaiting arraignment as one of 20 alleged G-Side / Drilly gang members in the Norwood / Gun Hill area. According to the Bronx District Attorney’s office, 20 gang members were arrested on various charges, including murder, non-fatal shootings, and stabbings.
In August 2024, we had also reported how “Slaughtery” gang members had been separately charged with 14 shootings, the slashing of a rival in a courthouse, and how they bragged online about it. The gang is also influenced by drill rap. As reported, drill rap is a sub-genre of rap music that emerged in the last 10 years. It addresses gang and street life and often glorifies misogyny and violence.
In February 2022, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he had met with a group of Drill rappers and later explained to the media how the meeting went. “They said, ‘We heard you were going to ban Drill rapping,’ and I did not say that,” said Adams. “No, I was very clear on what I stated and they came in with a lot of energy. You know, here’s the 62-year-old guy that don’t understand young people and you want to destroy…. and I let them talk. Then I told them what I said, that violent people who are using Drill rapping to post who they killed, and then antagonize the people who they are going to kill is what the problem is.”
Adams had added, “And they heard me, and we’re going to be rolling out something in the next few days to deal with this issue. It was a great conversation. I was happy to have them there.” For more on the former mayor’s comments, click here.
Norwood News has reached out to McDonalds and to the management of The Mall at Bay Plaza for comment and will share any feedback we receive.