Jersey Shore chaos: Fights, false shooter reports kick off Memorial Day weekend

🔴 False report of shooter in Seaside Heights spark police response

🔴 Shore town will implement curfew

🔴 Fights, stabbing also reported in Ocean City

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — Videos of crowds running from fights and possible gunshots at the Jersey Shore are flooding social media to start the summer.

Armed police officers were seen responding to the Seaside Heights boardwalk in videos posted to Facebook. And on X, footage showed another angle of the boardwalk where people were fleeing the area.

Mayor Tony Vaz said the panic spread throughout the largest crowds he's ever seen at the boardwalk after fake reports of a shooter.

"There was no shooting," said Vaz.

After increasingly troublesome behavior down the shore in recent years, Vaz said that Seaside Heights was prepared. The borough had local police and officers from the Ocean County sheriff's and prosecutor's offices to assist.

The reports of the shooting came in around 8:15 p.m. on the boardwalk near Sheridan Avenue, according to police Det. Steve Korman. Investigators found the reports of a shooting were false.

The borough then made the decision to implement a 10 p.m. curfew as juveniles continued to pour into the boardwalk. The curfew will be in place Sunday evening as well.

Read More: Seaside Heights tries to control bad behavior

Fights, stabbing in Ocean City

Seaside Heights wasn't the only shore town to get rowdy behavior.

Videos from Ocean City showed young people running from the boardwalk. It's not clear what they were running from.

On Saturday, a 15-year-old male teen was stabbed on the boardwalk. Police responded to a fight around 9:15 p.m. and found the victim, according to Sgt. Dan Lancaster.

He was treated at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City for his injuries and was expected to survive. An investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been announced.

Two girls were also involved in a fight on Friday night that grew as other teens gathered to watch, Ocean City police said to the Press of Atlantic City.

Several teens were detained and then handed over to their parents. There were no injuries and no charges were filed, according to the report.

"Ocean City will not tolerate" bad behavior

In a statement later Sunday afternoon, Mayor Jay Gillian said that large crowds of teens were responsible for multiple fights, shoplifting, and other disorderly conduct in Ocean City.

"I understand the impact that this behavior has on all of our residents, guests and business owners, and I want to assure everybody that Ocean City will not tolerate it," said Gillian.

He said police officers made multiple arrests and that the situation calmed down once the unruly teens were removed. Gillian said the city is welcoming to all but that police will enforce all laws to keep the peace.

“If you don’t want to behave, don’t come," said Gillian.

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