Assault, Theft, Vandalism... Spread of Gas Station Attacks by African American Youths in the US

Youth Radical Group Actions Spreading Under Slogans
Planning and Executing Large Gatherings on SNS

Chicago, USA is struggling with violent group behavior among Black teenagers.

According to local media such as Chicago ABC7 and WGN on the 22nd (local time), around 9:30 PM on the 20th, about 100 Black teenagers stormed a gas station in Bronzeville, South Chicago, damaging vehicles and facilities and stealing items from the convenience store inside the gas station.

A group of Black teenagers who ran onto a road in Chicago, blocking vehicle traffic
[Photo by Chicago WGN]

Under the slogan "Black Teens Takeover," they plan and execute large gatherings through social networking services (SNS), and this time the Bronzeville gas station became their target.

They gathered by a nearby lakeside and moved together to the targeted Bronzeville gas station. During this process, they blocked cars passing on the road and even climbed onto the hoods of vehicles on the street.

Residents who witnessed the scene said, "It was truly terrifying. A huge group of kids were noisily shouting and dancing, playfully breaking the convenience store windows inside the gas station and looting items."

The Chicago police reported that during this incident, an 18-year-old woman was hit by a car and that "dozens of officers were dispatched to the scene to disperse the group." They added, "Five males in the group were charged with reckless conduct, one female was charged with illegal possession of alcohol as a minor, and two were detained for violating juvenile curfew."

Not only group assault on a white woman in her 20s but also a fight involving about 400 people

Convenience store at a gas station in Bronzeville, Chicago, targeted by looting by Black youths
[Photo by Chicago NBC News]

Group riots by Black teenagers in Chicago continue to occur. In April, up to 1,000 Black teenagers gathered in downtown Chicago, causing disturbances and collectively assaulting a white woman in her 20s in front of a building for no apparent reason.

Also, last month, about 400 teenagers fought in a brawl at a festival in Tinley Park, a southern suburb of Chicago, causing the event to end earlier than scheduled.

Until now, the predominantly Black neighborhoods in South Chicago had been stained by gun violence stemming from power struggles between criminal organizations. However, a recent notable change is that ordinary teenagers are gathering in large numbers and engaging in violent group behavior.

These Black teenagers continue their collective actions, shouting "Black Power" and "Black Teens Takeover," inspired by the "Black Lives Matter" (BLM) movement.

In response to their violent behavior, some voices call for "social-level education for these teenagers and their parents."

Chicago ABC reported, "The city of Chicago and nearby municipal authorities are struggling to find ways to mitigate and suppress sudden similar incidents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.