Police respond to rowdy ‘teen takeover’ at Glen Ellyn pool that prompted early closure

GLEN ELLYN, Ill. — Police are investigating a large disturbance in Glen Ellyn after hundreds of teens swarmed Sunset Pool on Saturday, prompting the park district to shut the facility down early.

According to the Glen Ellyn Police Department, officers were called to the pool, located in the 400 block of Fairview Avenue, just before 5 p.m. after reports of a crowd of teens, estimated to be between 200 and 300, began to gather.

Police say many teens entered without paying, while some were reportedly smoking cannabis, drinking alcohol, setting off fireworks and playing inappropriate music over portable speakers.

Witnesses told WGN-TV the lines of young people waiting to get in were massive. Some individuals jumped a fence and opened a gate for others.

The overwhelming crowd and unruly behavior caused staff to close the pool early. It took several police departments to help evacuate the park, police say.

Video provided by bystanders shows the moment a pool manager was pushed into the lap pool. A young man can be seen helping her out of the water while others are seen laughing.

John Horist, who had visited the pool earlier in the day, said the situation was out of character for the quiet west suburban community.

“Glen Ellyn’s a really quiet town. I’ve been talking to the parents today and some of the kids too and they’re definitely kind of freaked out,” Horist said.

A social media post encouraged followers to “bring 31^st Beach to the burbs,” telling teens to gather at Centennial Beach in Naperville. Naperville police say officers were at the beach just in case, but no disturbance occurred.

It’s unclear whether the incident at Sunset Pool was related to the teen takeover planned in Naperville.

Retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel says it’s important for agencies to keep up on social media because that’s where many of the “teen takeovers” are organized.

“They’re coming in with an intent to be disruptive, there’s no question about that, and they’re putting that out there; they want to film everything,” Weitzel said.

He also says it prevents a challenge for law enforcement on what steps they can take, be it citations or arrests depending on the situation.

“You can’t just go in there and arrest every single teenager and push them around and force them out, you can’t do that,” Weitzel said. “Once it becomes violent, then the police have to act differently.”

The Glen Ellyn Park District released the following statement regarding the incident:

“On July 5, due to the disruptive and unsafe behavior of several individuals at Sunset Pool, including violations of Park District ordinances, we made the decision to close the facility early. We worked closely with Glen Ellyn Police and surrounding agencies to ensure the facility was safely cleared. The safety of our patrons and staff is our top priority. We’re especially grateful to our quick-thinking Sunset Pool staff for their professionalism in handling the situation.”

One arrest was made in Glen Ellyn for illegal use of fireworks. The investigation remains ongoing.