AURORA | Aurora police are investigating an apparent teen takeover of about 500 teenagers at the Hoffman Heights Shopping Center on Sunday that led to viral social media videos of crowds running through and disrupting local businesses.
Around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, more than 70 police personnel responded to the shopping center to disperse the crowd, according to an Aurora Police Department social media post. As the officers were managing the crowd, groups ran through nearby businesses, including some people who vandalized property and stole merchandise.
Videos of teens running through King Soopers and standing on tables in Burger King went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms.
The growing phenomenon of the so-called takeovers, prompted by social media “flyers” have been reported in cities across the country…