PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Several area carnivals were interrupted or canceled after police responded to incidents of unruly teenage behavior, gun violence and assault.
New Castle County
A shooting at a carnival outside the Concord Mall in Wilmington left a teenager dead and another wounded. Around 11 p.m. Saturday, Delaware State Police responded to the L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence) Fest Carnival in the mall parking lot. Shots were fired after a fight broke out, and two boys, ages 16 and 17, were hit, police said.
The 16-year-old, whose name has not been publicly identified, died in the hospital, according to police. The other victim was left in serious condition. The shooter got away, police said.
The carnival was closed on Sunday due to the weather, but organizers plan to resume operations on Monday.
In a statement shared on social media, festival organizers said, “We are cooperating fully with the Delaware State Police, who are investigating the incident. As those who attend our family-focused events know, L.E.A.D. has strict security measures in place to ensure a safe environment within our carnivals. The L.E.A.D. Fest Carnival at the Concord Mall runs through next Sunday, May 19th. We are speaking with Mall management and the Delaware State Police regarding additional security to patrol the area parking lots.”
Chester County
Other carnivals, however, have been axed altogether. A carnival outside the Exton Square Mall in Chester County was canceled for the rest of the week after a disturbance on Saturday and an assault that followed.
The carnival was scheduled to take place in the parking lot from May 9 to 18, but it managed to stay open for only three days. Goodtime Amusements, which operated the fair, posted on Facebook that the closure was due to “out of control behavior” and “unrest that transpired.”
On Saturday, a crowd of juveniles reportedly created a disturbance at the carnival and an unsafe environment for attendees, so police shut it down for the night.
The West Whiteland Township Police Department later shared a video on social media of an assault that happened at a business inside the mall, which officials said took place after the carnival was shut down.
Then on Sunday, police announced that the carnival’s permit had been revoked and the event was canceled.
In the video of the assault, a person is knocked to the ground and kicked by a group of people. Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the victim, suspects and witnesses of the assault.
Delaware and Bucks counties
In Delaware County, the Broomall Fire Company announced last week that it was discontinuing its annual carnival fundraiser.
“Despite our best efforts to address growing concerns, it has become increasingly clear that the carnival has had unintended consequences impacting our community and local businesses,” the fire station said in a statement. “In recent years, we have taken significant steps to mitigate these issues, including earlier closing times, the installation of fencing around the carnival grounds, and bolstering security measures with additional police presence. Regrettably, despite these efforts, complaints regarding attendee behavior concerningly persist.”
And in Bensalem, Bucks County, the mayor pulled the plug on the spring carnival at the Neshaminy Mall before it even began.
Police responded to the carnival’s first night last year because of unruly disturbances. In response, Bensalem police and Dreamland Amusements instituted new security measures, like requiring juveniles to be accompanied by parents or guardians who are at least 21 years of age.
This year’s carnival was canceled due to those safety issues.