CHICAGO — Hundreds of teenagers gathered on Chicago's West Side on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and at a South Side beach on Monday, leading to clashes with police, multiple arrests, and injuries. Police reported minor injuries to five officers hit by a car while dispersing the West Side crowd, and on Monday, 53 teens were arrested and nine weapons confiscated after a beach gathering in Hyde Park turned violent, leaving three people shot.

Chicago recorded no homicides over the holiday weekend—the first time in a decade, according to Mayor Brandon Johnson—though 23 shootings injured 36 people citywide. The city had held free youth events, including basketball tournaments and block parties, as part of violence prevention efforts. Johnson said these programs, along with the summer job initiative, have helped reduce crime.

City Council members began drafting an ordinance that would allow police to charge parents of arrested teens with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Alderman Brian Hopkins, who is co-sponsoring the measure and pushing to strengthen the city’s curfew law, told NBC Chicago: “And that’s when parents allow their minor children to commit crimes. So the laws are already on the books. They need to be enforced.” A previous curfew proposal from Hopkins was vetoed by Johnson last June.

Mayor Johnson called on parents to “stay aware of where their children are and to help ensure that they are safe and accounted for.” He declined to support or oppose the parental accountability ordinance, stating no specific proposal had been provided to him. Alderman Desmond Yancy said he is not yet convinced stricter penalties for parents are the answer, noting teens can deceive parents about their whereabouts.

Samuel Abrams, a teacher and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said the gatherings reflect a deeper need for connection among youth. “If you are a teen today, you grew up, or you came of age, during Covid, when you were locked down. Your social space is a screen; you are lonely; you are probably a little depressed. You are not as physically active as you need to be, and you are desperate for human interaction and social contact. And you know when there’s a chance to gather and be part of something larger, we see teens flock to it.” He added: “That’s what these teen takeovers really represent to me. They’re not random violence. It’s not out-of-control youth. More often than not, it is a desperate need for connection.” Abrams also said teen takeovers swell quickly because teenagers lack accessible, affordable, and welcoming “third spaces” for socialization outside of home and school.