The weekend of Tybee Island’s controversial Orange Crush ended with 26 arrests and the seizure of five firearms, one of which police said had been converted into a makeshift machine gun capable of fully automatic fire.
The Tybee Island Police Department and Georgia State Patrol arrested a total of 26 people during the annual Beach Bash from Friday, April 17, to Sunday, April 19, according to preliminary data provided to Fox News Digital by Tybee Island Police Chief Emery Randolph.
Nineteen of the arrests were made by Tybee Island police and seven by the Georgia State Patrol. The arrests were four more than last year’s incident, when authorities arrested 22 people over the weekend. There were 54 arrests during the 2024 Orange Crush and 26 arrests in 2023.
No other details about the arrest were available at this time.
Orange Crush music festival returns to Tybee Island as police prepare for 50,000 attendees after teen takeover and shooting
This year’s main event, called “Crush Reloaded,” is scheduled for Saturday at the Tybee Island Beach Pier and Pavilion.
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Police also issued 100 traffic citations over the three days, 49 by Tybee Island police officers and 51 by state troopers.
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During the same period, the island’s 911 center handled 297 calls for service, Randolph said.
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The annual event, called “Crush Reloaded,” returns to Tybee Island over the weekend, with organizers touting online that “the biggest HBCU beach bash is back” and saying more than 50,000 people are expected to attend.
WATCH: Tybee Island Mayor Says Orange Crush Reloaded Is No Longer ‘Destructive’
Tybee Island Mayor Brian West told Fox News Digital that the city’s safety measures are very similar to those used by authorities in recent years.
“It’s very similar to what we did last year. It looks like we may have more personnel this year, but the safety protocols we put in place three years ago seem to be working very well. It’s pretty much what we’ve seen over the past three years,” West told Fox News Digital.
West said authorities sought help from agencies across the region and across the state, including the Georgia State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources, Motor Carrier Division, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Police Department and Tybee Island’s own police force.
Video shows panicked spring break crowds fleeing beach hotspot after reports of five weekend shootings
West said security was tightened after problems arose in 2023, when he said people who were not college students came to the event with “drugs and guns.”
“We have a really bad situation in 2023. What’s happening is we have a lot of people who are not college students. They’re seniors trying to take advantage of that group, and they’re bringing drugs and guns,” West said. “With the safety measures we have in place, we’ve been able to filter those people out. So now that we have college students here, it’s more of a spring break type group than a disruptive group.”
He also said city leaders have found that when students organize recreational activities, the events run more smoothly.
“It does work better when we work together and provide some type of activity for the students. In the past, when they first showed up, they had to have some fun on their own. Sometimes, that fun really wasn’t the best thing,” West said. “So it’s better when there’s an activity, there’s a band, there’s something to capture their attention.”
WATCH: Orange Crush CEO says event has worked with police, city council to ‘rebrand’
Orange Crush Reloaded CEO Steven Smalls similarly told Fox Digital News that the event is designed to give college students a safe place to celebrate.
“The biggest thing about this is getting college students to come out and have a good time and focus on graduation coming up in May. It’s a college-based thing and hopefully in the future I’ll be able to give back some student debt relief and hopefully one day help an SSU (Savannah State University) student. If I do well here, give one of those kids a scholarship and, you know, just give back to the college community,” Smalls said.
Smalls said the renaming of the event and working with city officials helped create a better environment for attendees.
WATCH: Illegal street racing ‘takeover’ explodes as hundreds flood streets, suspect flees
“That was the rebrand. I think that was probably the best thing that happened. I loved the way the relationship was built, I understood what was going on with them and they understood what was going on with me. Working together, it became what you see today,” Smalls said.
He also believes that organizing festivals can help divert crowds.
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“If I don’t do that, then they’re going to pop up here. There’s not going to be no sound, there’s going to be no entertainment. They’re not going to be sitting around, it’s just them being kicked out. So I bring entertainment, I’m here and they come here to have fun. The police presence, that helps keep you safe,” Smalls said.
The Orange Smash, known for drawing large crowds to the Georgia beach town, has long stoked controversy between residents and law enforcement due to past violence, arrests and the trash left behind.
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Ahead of this year’s festivities, Tybee Island officials said they are stepping up law enforcement and preparing for an influx of tourists amid growing local concerns about public safety and so-called “teen takeovers” reported nationally and in the region.
When asked about residents’ concerns about the incident, Randolph previously told Fox News Digital: “Rest assured, we have heard your voices and public safety will always be our top priority.”
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Starting Thursday, residents and visitors saw an increase in law enforcement presence from various local and state agencies on the island ahead of the holiday weekend. Authorities also set up road safety checkpoints on Highway 80, opened emergency lanes on major thoroughfares and closed the 14th Street and 16th Street parking lots to maintain order.
WATCH: Georgia teen’s takeover caught on camera
On April 4, police said an unauthorized flash mob near the Tybee Island Pier and Pavilion was interrupted by gunfire as hundreds of teenagers gathered in the area.
Police said they heard a gunshot and people running away around 6:30 p.m.
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The Orange Crush event dates back decades and gained a reputation as a rowdy, crime-filled weekend in the early 1990s.
The festival later moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 2021, citing limited parking, a lack of resources and alleged civil rights issues, before returning to Tybee Island in 2023 for the first time since 2020.
Original source of the article: Orange Crush beach blowout leads to 26 arrests, police seize makeshift machine guns as they test crackdown on massive crowds
