Violence at three metro Atlanta movie theaters and the threat of it at another prompted a massive police presence and frantic patrons in recent days. Investigators believe discounted tickets may have played a role in three of the incidents, while a domestic dispute led to the fourth.
Dubbed “National Cinema Day,” the Sunday event offered $4 tickets at many theaters. That led to large crowds and fights at Arbor Place in Douglasville, where a sign fell causing a sound mistaken for gunshots, according to police. In Morrow, officers rushed to the Southlake Mall AMC theater after a report of shots. And in Buford, seven teenagers were arrested after a fight inside the Mall of Georgia.
No injuries were reported at the malls. However, the incidents disrupted movie-goers and led to arrests.
“There is no evidence of any gunshots and there are no reported injuries as a result of the fight,” Douglasville police said Sunday in a social media post. “Regal Cinema has closed for the night as a result of the incident. If you have dropped off anyone at the mall, you should return now to pick them up.”
At the Mall of Georgia, the fights led to so much disruption that the movie theater closed early, Channel 2 Action News reported. Cellphone video appeared to show a 19-year-old man shoving police officers who were restraining his younger brother during the chaos, the news station reported.
Morrow police did not immediately respond to a request Monday for details. Late Sunday, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office warned of a heavy law enforcement presence at the mall’s theater.
Douglasville investigators had warned Friday that this year’s event wouldn’t be a repeat of last year when 20 people were arrested at the Arbor Place theater on the discount day.
“Parents don’t seem to understand the times we are living in,” Douglasville police Chief Gary Sparks said in a letter posted on Facebook. “We must understand that the biggest and most powerful word in our vocabulary is NO. Learn to tell your kids ‘no.’”
In 2022, Arbor Place closed early on “National Cinema Day” after teenagers were seen fighting and screaming, according to police. One adult and 19 juveniles were arrested on various charges, including disorderly conduct, affray, battery and gang offenses.
For Sunday’s event, the police department increased its presence in the area and involved mall and theater management, Sparks said. Two arrests were made following one of the fights, though their names and charges were not released.
An ongoing issue is parents dropping off children and teens at the theater, Sparks said.
“Don’t let the mall’s movies raise your child,” he said. “When they get out of your presence, they might do things that will come back and embarrass you.”
But it was adults who were allegedly responsible for violence at a Hall County theater last week, according to police.
A man and a woman, whose names were not released, were involved in a dispute at Regal Hollywood Cinemas on Green Hill Circle when the man was stabbed Aug. 22, Gainesville police said. Police said they were also investigating a second scene on Shallowford Road. Both the man and woman were taken to the hospital.
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