Police in Ocean City, New Jersey, are investigating after a teen was stabbed on the boardwalk this holiday weekend.
Officers responded to reports of a brawl on the 1000 block of the boardwalk shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday. When they arrived, they discovered a 15-year-old male had been stabbed after an incident by an unknown male suspect.
The Ocean City Fire Department treated the teen at the scene before transporting him to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for further treatment.
He suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
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According to Ocean City officials, multiple arrests were made following the brawl, although it was unclear whether the alleged stabber was apprehended. The commotion was captured on video, with police apprehending numerous teenagers. “They were already on the ground, arresting a couple of girls and attempting to push the crowd away, people taking video, it was pretty uncontrollable,” said Melissa, who observed the incident.
She was on the boardwalk with her daughter when the commotion began. “I was right here next to where it happened, all these teenagers started running,” she continued. Melissa told Action News that multiple fights occurred. As tensions rose, fear crept in, and many attempted to flee the scene.
“I grabbed them, and we started walking to my car. Then all these youngsters flooded down the boardwalk on 10th Street, and police cars began to roll up,” she claimed.
This is not the first occurrence to occur in South Jersey during Memorial Day weekend. On Friday, two youths got into a fight on the boardwalk, according to officials. Detectives say someone reported a gun and a possible shooting in Seaside Heights.
According to authorities, a big crowd of teenagers gathered around the brawl. Officers were able to break it up, and several people were detained. There were no injuries recorded in that case, and no weapons were used.
The mayor of Ocean City issued a statement addressing growing issues at shore towns dealing with big crowds, particularly teenagers, in recent years. He said in part, “Ocean City will always be welcoming to all guests, but I want to send a clear message to parents and to teens: ‘If you don’t want to behave, don’t come.'”
Parents informed Action News that they were horrified to hear of the fighting and stabbing incident. They claim Ocean City has always been family-friendly. “Makes you nervous. I have teenagers, and it’s still terrifying; you don’t want anyone to be hurt,” said John Scalia of Reading, Pennsylvania. “It shocks and surprises me. We frequently visit Ocean City, which has a family-friendly boardwalk. “It’s not what you would expect,” said Karen Hoffman of Somerdale, New Jersey.
People expressed hope that things will improve this summer.
“I’ll never drop her off by herself,” Melissa remarked of her kid. “That type of behavior is not common on the Ocean City boardwalk. Family-friendly, quite safe, and very clean. “Pretty surprising.”
Anyone with information on the incident is requested to call Ocean City police at 609-525-9129.