Paradise Georgia island rocked by feral 'teen takeover' that saw shots fired on its famous pier

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER 21:52 08 Apr 2026, updated 23:17 08 Apr 2026

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A gorgeous Georgia island was swept over by hundreds of partying teenagers in a chaotic gathering that ended with a gun being fired.

Multiple shots were heard around 6.30pm Saturday during an 'unpermitted, pop-up event' on Tybee Island's pier, police said.

Tybee Island mayor Brian West said organizers of the pop-up were setting up stages and DJs without permission when the shooting happened, according to WJCL.

'hundreds' of people quickly scattered and ran for their lives once the shots had been fired, local police told the Daily Mail. 

Video released by Tybee Island police showed dozens of teens sprinting away from the pier, with some leaping over fences to escape the chaos. 

Others rushed to parked cars, which included black SUVs, and sped away as panicked screams could be heard.

Law enforcement is now looking for two individuals who 'emerge from the darkness beneath the pier and pavilion' at the end of the video. Police believe those individuals have 'pertinent' information about the incident. 

Captain Emory Randolph of the Tybee Island Police Department told the Daily Mail on Wednesday afternoon that a suspect has not yet been identified yet and that no victims have come forward.

The historic pier, located just off US Highway 80, has stood since 1891. It regularly hosts festivals and free events, but is also known as a spring break hotspot.

After reviewing 911 calls and video, detectives actually believed only a single gunshot was fired.

Investigators currently believe that it 'may have originated from the beach below,' police said.

'This is a quiet southern town, with people that want to come here, relax, go on vacation, bring their families,' Mayor West told WJCL.

'If you're looking to go out and disrupt that, it's not going to happen here,' West added.

Off-duty Tybee officers immediately responded to Saturday's shooting, police noted, thanking 'those who left their families at a moment's notice during Easter weekend to answer the call.'

They were joined by Chatham County police, Chatham County Sheriff's Office deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers.

A witness to the shooting, Frank Diaz, said on Facebook immediately afterwards that it had been a 'crazy night' near the pier.

'Police came in to restore order,' Diaz wrote on social media.

Tybee Island has long been known as a spring break destination in Georgia and the southern US, hosting the HBCU spring break gathering formerly known as Orange Crush.

Thousands of young students are expected to return to the island in about ten days for a new version of the rowdy event, which has since been rebranded as Crush Reloaded 2K26.

'The Orange Crush Tradition Continues,' a description for the event read. 'Get ready for 3 days of non-stop energy, music, and culture across Savannah and Tybee Island.'

Officials have said the massive crowds of young people have caused things to spiral 'out of control' on the island.

'Police officers were attacked, people got injured,' Brett Bell, the Tybee Island city manager, told WTOC about the 2023 gathering.

The event is scheduled to run from April 17 to 19, according to its website.

There will be 27 police officers on hand to manage crowds and traffic, which will also be dealt with by the Georgia State Patrol and the Department of Natural Resources.