17 charged after large teen gathering at The Battery Atlanta
A large group of teens gathered at The Battery Atlanta on February 21, 2026 resulting in several arrests and charges. (FOX 5 News)
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Days after more than 100 teenagers gathered at The Battery Atlanta over the weekend, Cobb County police announced that 17 people, minors and adults, have been charged in connection with the gathering.
What we know:
Eight adults were arrested and charged on Feb. 21 with inciting to riot, loitering and prowling, and obstruction (misdemeanor). They were booked into the Cobb County jail, according to police.
Two juveniles were arrested and charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of THC. The juveniles were taken to the Marietta Regional Youth Detention Center.
Seven other juveniles with theft by taking (felony), loitering and prowling, obstruction (misdemeanor), and hit-and-run. The seven juveniles were released to the custody of their parents or guardians.
Cobb County police said these charges do not include any filed by partner law enforcement agencies who assisted with the incident.
The backstory:
Police had monitored social media posts about the "unruly" large-scale teen meet-up at The Battery on Saturday night.
Authorities worked alongside Smyrna police and other partner law enforcement to manage the gathering.
Officials said that while peaceful gatherings are permitted, disruptive behavior would not be tolerated. Several attendees were removed from the property that night.
Police investigate large teen gathering at The Battery
Cobb County police are investigating after a large gathering of "multiple unruly subjects" gathered at The Battery on Saturday night.
What they're saying:
Brandon Brown, who works in the area and is a former eighth-grade teacher, previously told FOX 5 he saw the crowd Saturday night. Brown said that the incident was the second he had seen in the past few months.
He also expressed concern about the nightlife environment, which he said is not ideal for teens.
"I just hope for the future that they have a place for teens to go to more than just malls and places to roam," Brown said.
RELATED: Large crowd of teens gather at The Battery Atlanta over the weekend
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released specific details about what led to the charges.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Cobb County Police Department and prior FOX 5 reporting.