Footage shows roughly 100 teenagers vandalizing and looting a Wawa convenience store by throwing food and smashing products, standing on chairs, while employees helpless watched the chaos unfold.
The Philadelphia Police Department arrived on the scene, dispersing the group of teens. While they are still investigating the incident, they said no arrests have been made and no one was hurt during the smash-and-grab styled incident.
The incident took place at a Wawa convenience store in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia located on Roosevelt Boulevard at Tyson Avenue. The mob of teenagers, according to police, came from the Rolling Thunder Skating Center, also on Roosevelt Boulevard, where the group of teens reportedly broke tables.
"After they roller skated, they started fighting inside the Rolling Thunder, after they went inside Rolling Thunder, they started fighting and going crazy in Wawa and throwing chips," said Latif Kelsey, an employee of Rolling Thunder.
Police are currently working alongside the Philadelphia School District in an attempt to identify those who attacked the convenience store at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night.
"It was approximately 50 to 100 people," said John J. Ryan, Philadelphia Police Captain. "The Wawa was completely sacked by the kids coming inside and destroying things, and thankfully there were no injuries to the Wawa, personnel, or to responding police."
"We have to be cautious because if we just had officers running in and just grabbing kids, we would be having a whole different conversation today. And then that's the unfortunate piece," said John Stanford, Philadelphia Police First Deputy Commissioner, on why no arrests were made.
Ryan adds that the teenagers who will be identified may face charges such as riot—which is a felony—criminal mischief, vandalism, and theft. Some of those involved were children as young as 10, according to detectives.