IMPD: Mall fight stemmed from feud over teenage boy
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A fight that broke out Monday night at the Castleton Square Mall stemmed from a months-long feud between two teenage girls over a boy, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
IMPD arrested six girls and one boy. No one reported any injuries.
Police said they spoke over the phone with mall management Tuesday morning to discuss security. IMPD plans to keep their current holiday plan in place.
“The mall had plenty of security there,” Commander Chris Bailey said. “They had off-duty officers working there.”
Bailey said police and security got the situation under control quickly.
Last year, IMPD opened a sub-station in the mall and increased their presence in shopping hot spots during the holidays. Bailey said that plan will stay in place at least until kids go back to school.
“It comes down to respecting the rules, respecting one and other and learning how to deal with conflict differently than with violence. And that starts at home,” Bailey said.
In a statement released Tuesday, a Simon Property Group spokesperson said safety is the mall’s top priority.
The statement reads, in part, “Castleton Square Mall has a longstanding Code of Conduct that prohibits disruptive behavior, and that policy is strictly enforced.”
Simon’s code of conduct does not include any curfews or supervision rules for kids.
Company leaders declined 24 Hour News 8’s request for an interview.
“There were hundreds of kids in that mall and there were very few that caused any problems,” Bailey said.
Chris Daniels said he drove to the mall Monday night to pick up his friend.
“There were a bunch of cars. So many cop cars,” Daniels said. “It was crowded. It was cramped and you honestly couldn’t even walk into the mall at the time.”
Police said two girls with a months-long feud ran into each other and started to fight. Detectives believe other kids started separate fights in the middle of the chaos.
“Hopefully that stuff won’t happen again because that’s pretty serious,” Daniels said.
The seven teenagers arrested face preliminary charges of battery and resisting arrest.