The College Fix

Tens of thousands of college students descended on Virginia Beach over the weekend for an event called “College Beach Weekend, 2013.” But it wasn’t all fun in the sun. Local merchants say the crowds started to get out of hand late Saturday afternoon. By nightfall, police say there were multiple reports of assault and gunfire as the crowds spun out of control and began to riot.

“I was scared to death,” said Denise Gordon, a manager for 18th Street Seafood Bar and Grill.

Though all those incidents happened late at night, Gordon said she’d noticed “rude, obnoxious” behavior around her restaurant much of the day. Fearful, she closed the restaurant at 8 p.m., two hours earlier than usual for a Saturday.

Gordon then said she called for security to help employees get to their cars after closing.

“It was so crazy, I don’t even know how to describe it,” she said.

Calls for the first incidents – a shooting in the 2000 block of Atlantic Ave., and a simple assault and larceny at 21st Street and Pacific Avenue – both came at 11:23 p.m., police said. The second shooting was reported at 2:58 a.m., in the 300 block of 33rd St. The third shooting, and the last call for violence, came at 3:13 a.m., at 27th Street and Atlantic Avenue.

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people were at the Oceanfront this weekend. One of the festivities was “College Beach Weekend 2013.”

That event was not organized by the city. But it was publicized through social media, allowing it to reach many non-college students from outside Hampton Roads.

A website for the event mentions Hampton University, Norfolk State, Old Dominion and several schools farther from Hampton Roads.

Read the full story here.

Meanwhile, in Fort Collins, Colorado, a similar college party-turned-riot occurred. Like the Virginia Beach party, it was organized via social media.

“The Facebook group kinda started it. About 530 kids said they were going to be going,” said student Alexander Brown.

That number quickly doubled in size.

“It was chaos it was fun. It was a good time. But it definitely got out of hand real quick,” says Michael Chavez.

“There was a crowd of damn near 1000 people,” adds Chavez.

Some students say the party was peaceful until local police returned with riot gear.

Police fired tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets into the crowd.

More on the Ft. Collins episode here.

Seems like everybody wants to riot these days. Whose going to pay for the cleanup? We at The College Fix would like to know: What did you do last weekend? What? No rioting?

Click here to Like The College Fix on Facebook.  /  Twitter: @CollegeFix

(Via Drudge)