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BROOKLYN, New York (CNN) — A Brooklyn mall turned away unaccompanied minors on Friday after hundreds of teens rushed the shopping center causing stores to shut down on the day after Christmas.
"It's ridiculous, because I'm trying to buy some stuff," John Edouard, a teen denied entrance at the Brooklyn mall, told CNN affiliate WCBS, "I can't get in."
More than 300 rowdy teenagers overran Kings Plaza shopping center on Thursday, according to an NYPD spokesman. At approximately 6 p.m., the pack ran around the mall banging on glass storefronts while cursing and screaming at people, mall employee Rickie Liu told CNN.
Some teens caused physical damage when they picked up a glass container filled with candy and shattered it on the floor, the owner of the candy kiosk told CNN affiliate, WCBS.
Dressed in casual clothing, the rambunctious crowd turned what is usually a quiet mall into a terrifying experience, said mall employee Charmaine Chen.
Stores closed their doors because of the wild mob on what is usually a busy shopping day. As the commotion continued, Liu said she received a call from mall security advising them to lock store doors for their own safety.
Shop owner Kenny Pak received a call from security telling him there were teens fighting and causing a commotion.
Police arrived after mall security called for backup at around 9 p.m., said an NYPD spokesman. Officers escorted nearly 300 disorderly teens out of the mall, he added.
The apparently coordinated ruckus lasted about two hours, according to Liu, and ruined expected sales for the day.
Her shop did not even do $100 in business after 6 p.m., Liu said.
There were no arrests made by or complaints filed with the authorities, police told CNN.
Police are reviewing mall security video, and the incident is under investigation, but a motive has not been determined, according to the NYPD.
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