A rising and concerning trend known as “teen takeovers” is gaining traction across Northeast Florida, drawing large, unsupervised crowds of teenagers and sparking serious safety concerns from law enforcement and the community.
One such gathering happened Saturday night near Friendship Fountain in Downtown Jacksonville—just an hour after the city’s family-friendly Silent Disco wrapped up. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded around 10 p.m. and quickly broke up the crowd of nearly 700 teens, many of whom had coordinated the event through social media.
Teen witnesses described the scene as chaotic and dangerous…