BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — A Towson business shut down for the evening, after a large crowd gathered in a nearby parking lot Wednesday night, with business owners and residents raising concerns about the disruption.
Silks Sports Bar said it decided to “shut down all business functions and cease operations for the evening” as crowds grew near its business.
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The bar said people began spilling into the business from a parking lot off Allegheny Avenue. The business also said a door was broken as people tried to push their way in.
Silks said the gathering was not a planned event associated with the business.
In a statement to FOX45 News, Silks said,
Last night, a large group of individuals gathered on Allegheny Avenue and in the adjacent parking lot. The gathering resulted in several businesses in the surrounding area being significantly impacted by the unexpected volume of people, including Silks
I want to make clear that Silks had no planned event associated with this gathering. There was no DJ, live entertainment, drink specials, promotion, social media activity or other scheduled activity at Silks that would have reasonably contributed to the size of the crowd.
As we began to notice a significant increase in our normal patron volume, we immediately contacted local authorities to make them aware of the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, and in an effort to protect our employees, patrons, and business, we made the decision to shut down all business functions and cease operations for the evening.
Our decision was made proactively and solely in response to the unexpected circumstances and the rapidly increasing crowd in the surrounding area.”
The large crowd began gathering around 8 p.m. on August 26, according to residents.
John Bollinger, a Towson resident who lives nearby, said he was sitting on his front porch when hundreds of people began arriving.
“Each parking lot was filled to the brim and they started parking in this parking lot, it was private,” Bollinger said.
He said the crowd was blasting loud music, drinking, smoking marijuana and being disruptive.
“This is not Towson. This is not what Towson is all about,” Bollinger said.
Baltimore County Police said officers responded to the large crowd.
Two college-aged men were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, police said.
A police scanner call described the situation as a potential riot in front of Silks Sports Bar. The caller also requested the fire department and a fire marshal because of concerns about overcrowding.
Residents and business owners are now questioning why the gathering was organized at that location.
“It’s getting out of control. I don’t get it. I really don’t understand why you want to do that,” Bollinger said. “I’d rather be at a destination or be at home, not in a parking lot doing illegal stuff.”
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