A public pool in a wealthy Chicago suburb descended into chaos Saturday as hundreds of teens swarmed the facility, shoved a lifeguard into the water, and set off fireworks in what police and residents described as a “flash mob” takeover.
Public pools swarmed by teen takeover
At around 5 p.m., Glen Ellyn police began receiving reports of an unruly teenage crowd forming at Sunset Pool.
Witnesses estimated as many as 300 teens and young adults pushed past security, forcing their way into the public pool area without paying.
Footage from the incident showed lifeguard being shoved into the pool by members of the crowd while they laughed and taunted her.
Local teens and families described the scene to the DuPage Policy Journal, recounting that fireworks were tossed into the water, alcohol and marijuana were openly used, and personal belongings were taken.
“They were drinking and smoking weed and swearing a lot,” one teenager said. “Someone threw a lit cigar into the pool. I saw Miller Lite bottles and girls drinking on-the-rocks cosmos… They were taking people’s stuff and moving it from their pool chairs.”
Parents who were at the public pool with young children told WGN-TV that teens blasted explicit music over loud portable speakers, adding to the mayhem.
One participant told ABC7 the event was initially organized as a summer meet-up for college students, but the turnout ballooned after being shared widely on social media platforms.
The mob reportedly began assembling at Downtown Napier Beach, according to a viral online flyer that read, “We bringing 31st Beach to the burbs. No fighting!”
Multiple local law enforcement agencies responded to the incident, and at least one arrest was made after a person launched a firework dangerously close to pedestrians.
Only one person charged after mob descends on public pool
19-year-old Jahad K. Hendersonn, from Beverly, reportedly set off the fireworks and attempted to flee the scene before being apprehended by officers.
Henderson was charged with use of fireworks, obstructing an officer, improper U-turn on roadway and driving with expired registration.
Resident Patrick Sandusky described the chaos in a Facebook post, writing, “The Sunset Pool has been overwhelmed by out of town kids. Fireworks fired into pool. It’s a TikTok meet up / take over according to police I just spoke to… Kids pushed past the gates. Lot of drinking and weed in the parking lot. 100s and 100s of kids. No joke. Pushed manager into the pool.”
In a statement, Sunset Pool management said they are evaluating potential policy changes. “We worked closely with the Glen Ellyn Police Department and surrounding agencies to ensure the facility was safely cleared.”
“We are grateful to our quick-thinking and professional Sunset Pool staff for how they handled the situation. The safety of our patrons and staff remains our top priority.”
Former Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel weighed in on the incident at the suburban public pool, pointing to the need for better monitoring of social media by law enforcement.
“When it’s happening in the city, they do a really good job of moving people out, well they’re going to come out to the suburbs,” Weitzel said.
“They are posting everything on either Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram, and you can see it all there. In some cases, this isn’t a surprise, but agencies just aren’t up on the social media monitoring, so maybe they’re caught off guard.”
He noted the challenge police face when handling large teen gatherings that have gone viral.
“It’s really difficult because no police officer or agency wants to be the next YouTube video… So you have to respond and smaller suburban agencies have to get cooperation from their neighbors.”
Teen takeovers becoming an epidemic in Chicagoland
Saturday’s disruption mirrored a similar incident just weeks earlier in Naperville, where a 14-year-old boy was arrested during another so-called “teen takeover” after officers found him carrying a loaded 9mm handgun during a large downtown gathering.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin reacted to that arrest, saying, “The allegation that a fourteen-year-old boy was in possession of a loaded, semi-automatic handgun during an extremely crowded event in downtown Naperville is extremely disturbing.”
“Once again, the Naperville Police Department’s vigilant policing and heads up work led to the removal of an allegedly illegally possessed handgun from our streets and possibly prevented a future tragedy.”
The teen was released on home detention with electronic monitoring pending his next court appearance.
In March, Chicago police dealt with another violent youth gathering when a 14-year-old boy allegedly shot a 15-year-old during a crowd event in Streeterville.
That suspect was later arrested in Bronzeville and charged with multiple firearms offenses.
The City of Chicago is now experimenting with new tactics to prevent teen takeovers. For the first time, officials are working with community groups to intervene early.
Manuel Whitfield, director of violence prevention for the Mayor’s Office, said, “The community-based organization element would be new. We’ve never done it before.”
Under the plan, police would verify an event, contact its organizer to ask that it be canceled, and deploy traffic control and curfew enforcement alongside community partners.
