HBCU Week college fair at Chase Fieldhouse disbanded after fights, per attendees, parents

Police disbanded the eighth annual HBCU Week college fair at the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington following a string of fights Friday afternoon, according to city officials and multiple social media users.

John Rago, deputy chief of staff for Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, confirmed that there were "a few incidents of fighting" at the college fair starting at noon, about three hours into the event. Wilmington police officers and hired security guards working the event evacuated the fieldhouse, according to Rago, and arrested three students.

A press release from the Wilmington Police Department sent Friday shortly before 8 p.m. identified the three teens arrested as a 16-year-old girl, 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old boy.

Wilmington police, who did not respond to multiple requests for comment, did not mention in the release that the incident occurred at the Chase Fieldhouse, giving only the street address.

All three of the teens arrested were charged with disorderly conduct, and the 16-year-old girl was also charged with resisting arrest, according to police. They were all released from custody.

Two of them were examined at the hospital for exposure to pepper spray used by police, Rago said, and the third was checked at the hospital for a minor head injury.

They were all discharged from the hospital, and no other injuries were reported.

"This is the first year that any type of incident has disrupted what has become a very popular and important education event in Wilmington," Rago said.

In response to the incident, Rago said the HBCU Block Party scheduled for Saturday in downtown Wilmington has been cancelled.

Social media users report fights

Social media users were the first to report the fights and police response at the HBCU college fair.

According to one TikTok user, four separate fights broke out before police arrived and evacuated the entire building. Screenshots of videos posted on Instagram show what appeared to be fights continuing outside.

One student who attended the college fair said she saw closer to five or six fights inside and outside the fieldhouse.

She said during a fight in the lobby, someone shouted about a gun, which prompted police to evacuate the building.

Multiple parents of students attending the college fair shared on Facebook that their kids were forced to leave, many without the opportunity to speak to all of the university representatives in attendance.

The college fair was scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature representatives from more than 25 HBCUs, according to the city. Scholarships were also slated to be awarded live.

The Wilmington Police Department and HBCU Week founder Ashley Christopher did not respond to requests for comment.

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: HBCU Week college fair at Chase Fieldhouse disbanded after fights, per attendees, parents