A peacefully arranged “flash mob” got out of hand Saturday night in Coolidge Park, which led to the five shooting victims, Mayor Ron Littlefield said today.
Flash mobs are gatherings arranged via text messages and the Internet.
“Many cities, Chattanooga included, are dealing with the issue of flash mobs,” Mr. Littlefield said at an afternoon press conference in Coolidge Park, near the site of the shootings. “It’s going on in cities all over and it started as a fun thing … but it’s getting ugly.”
The mayor stood with Police Chief Freeman Cooper and city department heads, trying to reassure the public that the event was an isolated incident, but one that officials took seriously.
The same evening as the shootings, police charged Anthony Frieson, 18, and Taurean Patillo, 18. Mr. Frieson was charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder, five counts of aggravated assault and one count of felony reckless endangerment.