Business damaged as 500 teens swarm Atlantic Station

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A large police presence responded to Atlantic Station on Saturday

ATLANTA - Atlanta police say nearly 500 teenagers caused a massive disturbance at Atlantic Station Saturday night, launching fireworks into crowds and eventually drawing real gunfire outside the district.

Atlantic Station chaos

The backstory:

Atlanta police originally responded to the shopping center after 7 p.m. following reports of shots fired. While investigators quickly determined the sounds were actually fireworks being ignited by a large crowd of "unruly" juveniles, the situation turned more dangerous as the crowd was dispersed.

"It can escalate from firecrackers to now its guns to life being taken. That’s something we don’t want," said John Williams, who was visiting the area.

As officers cleared the mall, a group of teenagers allegedly began firing actual guns near Spring Street NW and 17th Street. 

Shooting outside Atlantic Station

What they're saying:

The gunfire sent patrons at Nan Thai Fine Dining ducking for cover.

"Definitely about 30 shots," said Jedi Niyomkul, the restaurant's general manager. "I’m making sure everyone is on the ground because we do have a lot of glass."

Niyomkul said the restaurant was hit by at least one bullet. He expressed frustration that the crowd was pushed out of the mall but not adequately monitored once they crossed into the surrounding city streets.

"Once they got them across the bridge, there was no patrol over on this side to make sure that they dispersed," Niyomkul said. "Literally at 17th and Spring, right there, 100 to 150 kids just sitting all around the corner, doing absolutely nothing, just looking for trouble."

Atlantic Station curfew

Dig deeper:

The disturbance occurred despite Atlantic Station's strict codes of conduct. The district enforces a 3 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18, requiring them to be with a parent or guardian. Additionally, no one under 21 is allowed on the property after 9 p.m.

Atlanta City Council member Michael Julian Bond said the city must find a more consistent way to manage large groups of youth.

"We again manage this population policy-wise, more than any other segment than our society, so we all got to step up year-round in how we manage that population," Bond said.