Overview
- Police say credible information points to potential large youth gatherings this weekend, with agencies coordinating a unified deterrence effort.
- Authorities have not disclosed expected locations and note the events are typically organized through social media.
- A late-February BeltLine incident resulted in 13 arrests and 11 seized firearms, including one illegally converted to fully automatic, prompting the stepped-up response.
- Deputy Chief Jason Smith warned teens they face arrest and said parents could be charged in some cases, with curfew rules still in effect.
- Midtown business owner Crystal Drakes is leading an Embrace Life Not Violence peace walk at 5 p.m. Friday from the Walmart on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, as city leaders steer teens to parks, rec centers, and the Year of the Youth website.