Social media meetups that turn violent presenting big challenges for police

Staying one step ahead of the proliferation of large-scale meetups organized on social media that descend into violence has become a challenge for police on Long Island and New York City, law enforcement experts say.

The most recent example occurred last Wednesday night when a 15-year-old boy was killed and two men were wounded at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow during what Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder described as a "so-called barbecue" for members of "a Blood gang group" that had been promoted on social media.

And the shooting comes amid a wave of social media-inspired gatherings in recent years on Long Island that quickly transformed from mundane to chaotic, including a "takeover" of Green Acres Mall and huge crowds of youths that assembled in separate incidents at Jones Beach and Long Beach that turned violent.

'Like whack-a-mole'

An argument between two people led to gunfire at the Eisenhower Park cookout, Ryder said. A 17-year-old Westbury teen, found in possession of the same caliber handgun that was used in the shooting, was arrested while attempting to flee the scene. The teen has not been charged in connection with the park shooting.

The victim was identified as Quacere Hagans, of Coram.

Details of how the gathering was organized or on what social media platform were not immediately released.

But retired NYPD Det. Michael Alcazars said the growing trend of social media driven meetups — whether organized by gang members, unruly high school seniors or participants in dangerous  online challenges — present an increasing obstacle for law enforcement officials.

"It's kind of like whack-a-mole," said Alcazars, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, adding that law enforcement should prioritize the hiring of social media savvy officers. "Unfortunately, you have to be dedicated to this. That should be your assignment, just to monitor all these trends and to follow all these gang members or people posting it. It's a lot of work and it's going to be very challenging."

Both the Nassau and Suffolk police departments said they monitor social media for potentially problematic events. 

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said his department "constantly monitors social media for posts and advertisements regarding parties, vehicle meetups and other similar events that have the potential to garner large attendance and create public safety situations. Information on these events is gathered by detectives and crime analysts from our Criminal Intelligence Section as well as tips from the community, all of which play integral roles to prepare law enforcement in the event response is needed."

A Nassau police spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, the Nassau District Attorney's Office said it works with law enforcement partners to track gang activity and to respond when gatherings become dangerous.

"Social media has made it easier than ever to gather larger crowds on short notice, with open invitations that can be spread to multiple groups, potential gang members and their rivals," said Nicole Turso, a spokeswoman for the office. "When summer heat, alcohol, gangs and guns mix, an outdoor barbecue or party can escalate quickly into a scene of serious violence. That violence can happen in public spaces or in the backyards of residential homes, putting nearby residents and families at risk."

The NYPD, meanwhile, has multiple units that monitor the social media posts of suspected gang members, officials said, including by the Intelligence Division, the Computer Crime Squad or the department's Gun Violence Suppression Division.

"If you're looking at social media, and you see the same people posting the same thing, you can look at the [gang member] database, and see this guy's part of the Bloods or this guy's part of the Crips and they're meeting up in Eisenhower and they're coming from the Bronx," Alcazars said. "This is all information that we can use to help hopefully prevent this."

Gatherings descend into chaos

Many of the large-scale events, promoted or organized on social media that have led to violence, were not affiliated with street gangs.

For example, in February nearly a dozen teenagers from Queens or Brooklyn — 10 of them 16 or younger — were arrested after police said a group of 300-400 youths attempted a social media-induced "takeover" of Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream. The incident was the latest in a series of takeover events that have gone viral on TikTok, the popular video sharing platform.

In June, four people were injured and one man was arrested at Jones Beach State Park after fights broke out during an "unauthorized event" of predominantly high school and college students that was organized on social media, officials said.

In June 2024, more than 2,000 high school students from Elmont, Malverne, Baldwin, Freeport, Hempstead and Queens converged on the beach in Long Beach for a "senior cut day" that was advertised through social media, including on Snapchat, police said.

The meetup descended into chaos when an individual was shot in the stomach inside the Long Beach Long Island Rail Road station.

While about 40 people from the beach party were sheltering inside the station following the initial shooting, a 15-year-old Uniondale High School student and reputed gang member opened fire, spraying eight or nine shots at a person he believed belonged to a rival gang, police said.

The teen was charged with attempted second-degree murder, multiple counts of attempted assault, reckless endangerment and gun charges.

In response to the gathering, the City of Long Beach sued the event's organizers and imposed new restrictions, closing the beach from dusk until dawn, moving up beach pass collection and requiring paid beach passes seven days a week.

And, in 2023 several people were hospitalized when a crowd of thousands packed Manhattan’s Union Square for a popular  livestreamer's hyped giveaway — again promoted on social media — and the event spiraled out of control.

Newsday's Anthony M. DeStefano contributed to this story.