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Teen takeover at DC’s Navy Yard
On the evening of March 14, 2026, the Navy Yard area of Washington, D.C., became the scene of unrest as hundreds of young people descended upon the neighborhood. (Credit: Elissa De Souza)
In response to the tumultuous “juvenile takeover” that disrupted the upscale Navy Yard district on Saturday night, even a former advisor to President Biden has criticized the handling of crime in Democrat-led cities. The influx of teenagers led to altercations, thefts, and gunfire in the area.
Yemisi Egbewole voiced her concerns on X, urging Democratic cities to address such disorderly conduct. “Blue cities need to wake up,” she asserted, referencing the social media footage of the chaos. “Allowing this behavior is unjust to both the residents and the youths involved.”
This incident followed closely on the heels of the city’s introduction of a temporary juvenile curfew for the Navy Yard region. Despite a citywide curfew for minors that begins at 11 p.m., critics argue that these “takeovers” by teenagers continue to disturb the peace.
“The actions witnessed last night in Navy Yard are unacceptable, and we are relieved that no severe injuries occurred,” interim Metropolitan Chief of Police Jeffery W. Carroll, appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, remarked to WUSA 9 on Sunday.
“I commend our members and our partners for their professionalism and for safely recovering two firearms from individuals within this group. We need parents and guardians to be proactive and know where their children are and who they are with at all times.”
In Saturday’s latest outbreak, police say the crowd began forming around 6:30 p.m. ET in a park near First Street and New Jersey Avenue SE, swelling to roughly 200 teens by 8:30 p.m.
Video circulating on social media shows large groups of mostly black-clad teens running through the streets, screaming and fighting as officers tried to disperse the crowd.
Just before 9:15 p.m., police say a group of teens assaulted and robbed another teen of his shoes and jacket. Minutes later, additional fights broke out near First and M Streets SE, according to WUSA 9.
Police in Washington, D.C., made arrests and recovered guns after a large teen gathering in the Navy Yard neighborhood on Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Elissa De Souza)
Around 9:45 p.m., National Guard members witnessed a 15-year-old fire a gun into the air inside the park. The teen was quickly apprehended and charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm, endangerment with a firearm and carrying a pistol without a license.
Police say the chaos continued shortly after, when another group of teens jumped and robbed two more juveniles near New Jersey Avenue and M Street. The victims later went to a hospital with injuries.
Hundreds of individuals gathered in Washington, D.C., Navy Yard neighborhood, in an incident that saw violence and arrests.
At about 10:34 p.m., the Secret Service stopped a rideshare vehicle after spotting a suspect matching a police description. A 16-year-old was arrested after officers recovered a firearm he allegedly tried to discard.
In total, two juveniles were arrested and two firearms recovered. Despite the violence, authorities say no serious injuries were reported.