A secret “fight club” held at the Brookhaven Aquatic Center in Shirley, Long Island was shut down Sunday evening after gunshots were fired during a scuffle, leading to over a dozen arrests, Suffolk County police confirmed, as reported by The New York Post.
Authorities responded around 6 p.m. to reports of gunfire near the swim facility and discovered an unauthorized gathering involving organized fights.
According to police, a participant fired blank rounds from a firearm during the altercation, injuring two individuals, aged 17 and 19. Both were transported to a local hospital for treatment.
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A total of 13 individuals were arrested in connection with the incident. Most of those taken into custody were between 16 and 20 years old. Among those arrested was 25-year-old Devine Brown of Mastic Beach.
He was charged with assault, menacing, unlawful assembly, and prohibitive use of a weapon. Brown was held overnight and is scheduled for arraignment on Monday.
Suffolk County Police did not respond immediately to additional media inquiries. The investigation into the origin of the event and whether more participants will be charged remains ongoing.
Sunday's incident marks the second underground fighting event in Suffolk County within a matter of weeks. In June, officers broke up a separate illegal fight club event at Walt Whitman Park in Melville.
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That brawl, reportedly promoted on social media, drew approximately 70 spectators. Three men were arrested in connection with that gathering, and most attendees were in their early 20s, according to police.
The emergence of underground fight clubs echoes themes from the 1996 novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, which was later adapted into a 1999 film starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.
Law enforcement officials are now expressing concern over the growing trend of youth-organized combat events, especially when paired with the presence of weapons.
The Brookhaven Aquatic Center is a public facility typically used for community swim programs. It remains unclear how organizers gained access to the property for the unsanctioned event.
Authorities have not disclosed whether additional charges will be filed against the minors involved. Police are continuing to review surveillance footage and other evidence from the scene.
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bring back smokers and boxing matches. gitta give the boys a way to burn off that testosterone and settle grudges in ways that don’t involve guns and weapons like it used to be.