Teen takeover drew 8,000 young people, most from outside Raleigh, police chief says
The throngs of rowdy young people who flooded Raleigh streets the night of July Fourth were unlike anything Police Chief Rico Boyce says he has seen in 26 years with the Raleigh Police Department.
“Unruly, undisciplined, unsupervised juveniles is what we were dealing with,” Boyce said.
Boyce shared new details of the events in Brier Creek and Glenwood South with the Raleigh City Council on Tuesday afternoon.
The “teen takeovers” led to six separate shooting incidents through the night, police said, leaving nine people injured by gunfire and a 10th person cut by shattered glass.
Police arrested 29 young adults 18 and older, seized 11 firearms and filed three juvenile petitions and two secure custody orders — meaning the juveniles will be detained in a secure facility.
“We were prepared for crowd size,” the chief said. “What we were not prepared for was the amount of firearms we were recovering off individuals on Saturday night.”
Police initially estimated 5,000 people were involved at Glenwood South, but Boyce said Tuesday that he’s increasing that number to 8,000. Police also have said 3,000 young people were involved at Brier Creek, some of whom later became part of the crowd at Glenwood South.
Boyce said the crowd of mostly juveniles appeared to have been dropped off on Glenwood Avenue. When they could not get into the surrounding bars, they gathered in the street with “nowhere to go.”
But the majority were not from Raleigh, Boyce said, explaining police used tracking technology to confirm most people had traveled to Glenwood from neighboring towns.
Boyce said investigations into all the incidents of the night are still ongoing, and additional charges and arrests are expected.
“We know how to manage crowds, but when you have juveniles who have no way to leave that area, who are not being respectful to law enforcement, who have no other business down in the area where they can’t even get into these establishments, you’re going to have problems,” he said.
Here’s a timeline of the night’s events.
Police quash ‘non-event’ in Moore Square
Earlier Saturday, police learned a “teen takeover” was planned for Moore Square. But Boyce described the meet-up as a “non-event,” as the crowd of about 75 people quickly dispersed once officers arrived.
Raleigh police had prepared for multiple July Fourth events that day, Boyce said, including a parade through downtown Raleigh during the day, an outdoor celebration at the state Capitol and the fireworks show at Dix Park Saturday evening — none of which led to criminal incidents, he said.
But police knew there would be large crowds for Brier Creek’s fireworks show and at Glenwood South, which always attracts a crush of bar-goers and has been a hotspot for late-night crime.
Takeover at Brier Creek: One person shot
After the Brier Creek fireworks show, “multiple” juveniles engaged in “multiple” fights, Boyce said.
As officers attempted to de-escalate the fights, two groups began firing at each other, shooting a woman in her car and injuring a passenger with flying glass.
Both victims are recovering from their injuries, Boyce said.
Officers detained a juvenile found with a gun but, after investigating, determined he was not involved in the shooting.
Chaos in Glenwood South: Six people shot
After police got Brier Creek “under control,” officers responded to large crowds forming in Glenwood South. They soon realized many in the crowd had also been at Brier Creek.
Just after 1:30 a.m., the first shooting occurred in Glenwood South, with two juveniles shot. Officers rendered aid and “tried to get that part under control,” Boyce said.
Thirty minutes later, a second shooting occurred on Tucker Street, with a young man shot multiple times. That victim, just over age 18, was also carrying a concealed firearm, Boyce said.
“Now we have two scenes within a block of each other, so it was chaotic,” Boyce said.
As chief of police, Boyce said he felt he had to see the scene for himself.
He soon spotted a young man on Glenwood Avenue acting in a “very aggressive” manner toward other people.
But when he intervened, the man started to run away. When Boyce caught him, he discovered he too was carrying a gun.
“He looked up at me and said, ‘Officer, don’t shoot me,’” Boyce said.
After detaining that individual, Boyce said a third shooting at 14 Glenwood Ave. left one juvenile shot by another juvenile.
Officers detained the shooter and took the firearm, he said.
On Wednesday police announced they had obtained a secure custody order for a 16-year-old in connection with the 14 Glenwood Ave. shooting.
The juvenile was charged with felony riot, possession of a firearm by a minor and discharging a firearm within city limits and was taken to a juvenile detention facility.
All told, police reported six people shot during the Glenwood South takeover.
Capital Boulevard shooting: Two people shot
Just before 4:30 a.m., police responded to a gas station at 850 Capital Blvd., where a fight had led to an unknown person shooting two people.
Both victims were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
City spokesperson Robin Deacle said police recognized some of the people at the Capital Boulevard scene from the takeover in Glenwood South.
Police have not announced any arrests in that shooting.
This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Teen takeover drew 8,000 young people, most from outside Raleigh, police chief says."
