Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson has broken his silence on the masked teen mob that stormed a McDonald’s and beat a worker behind the counter.
The mayor, 41, addressed the Sept. 18 attack in a Facebook post Tuesday, two days after four teenagers were arrested and charged in connection with the violent takeover at the Lynn, Massachusetts fast-food restaurant. The incident unfolded roughly 10 miles outside Boston following a local football game, and cellphone footage from inside the McDonald’s quickly spread across social media.
“As a father, community member and mayor, I’m deeply concerned by the incidents involving young people in our community this weekend,” Nicholson wrote on Facebook. “The Lynn Police Department is actively investigating both incidents, and I have confidence that those responsible will be held accountable.”
The mayor’s statement referenced a second, separate incident involving a large group of teenagers that same weekend, though police have not disclosed where that second gathering occurred. Only the McDonald’s attack turned violent, authorities noted.
Nicholson said his office has “expanded youth-focused investments in public safety, mental health, workforce development and education, while continuing to have the difficult conversations about what our young people need from us.”
“We will continue to address violence when it occurs, hold individuals accountable and, just as importantly, work together to give our young people the support, structure and opportunities they need to succeed,” the mayor continued.
The Lynn Police Department announced the arrests Wednesday on Facebook, detailing how detectives from the Youth Services Unit, assisted by the gang unit and drug task force, identified four teens allegedly involved and obtained warrants. All four were taken into custody and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, trespassing, affray and civil rights violation with injury.
Affray is the legal term for a public brawl that terrifies bystanders. The teens are being held in a juvenile detention facility awaiting court appearances, and police are withholding their identities due to their ages amid what they called an “active and ongoing investigation.” Detectives are still working to identify others involved in the attack.
The McDonald’s franchisee told WHDH that the employee who was beaten is OK following the assault. The distressing footage shows a massive group descending into the restaurant before two teens are seen viciously attacking the worker behind the counter. Several masked teens circled the employee and rained punches before one appears to put him in a chokehold and pin him against the drive-thru window.
Nearby resident Charlie Stevens told WHDH that in all his years living in Lynn, he’s never witnessed such unprovoked violence from young people.
“It’s just nuts because I was born and raised in this city. I don’t know, it’s just crazy,” Stevens said.
Another Lynn resident, Phillip Howlant, echoed those concerns about shifting youth behavior.
“It’s sad that the youth don’t have what we had in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, you know?” Howlant told the outlet. “They don’t have the work ethic, they don’t grow up with understanding that you behave and you listen to olders, and you don’t do stuff like going to McDonald’s and doing that.”
The attack has stunned the community and drawn renewed attention to youth gatherings in the Boston-area city.