50 Juveniles Fight In Market Square As Police Arrest 5, Seize 3 Guns: Officials

PITTSBURGH, PA — A series of fights — at least one of which involved dozens of juveniles — broke out Friday night in the Market Square area, according to authorities.

Five adults were arrested over the course of the night on suspicion of crimes including aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and persistent disorderly conduct, as well as drug and gun offenses, authorities said. Four juveniles, two boys and two girls, were cited for disorderly conduct, according to authorities, and three guns were recovered.

A large fight involving about 40-50 juveniles broke out around 9:15 p.m. in front of Chipotle, with officers deploying pepper spray to break it up and clear the crowd, authorities said, adding four officers were treated for pepper spray exposure.

Officers also assisted in breaking up other fights among large groups of juveniles throughout the evening, according to the Pittsburgh Public Safety Department, which noted several hundred juveniles were estimated to be in the square Friday night.

“Due to escalating violence, assaults on police officers, and the confiscation of firearms, a decision was made to clear Market Square,” the department said in a social media post.

The crowd dissipated around 12:15 a.m. Saturday, though many juveniles congregated at Triangle Square and a bus stop at Forbes Avenue and Wood Street, where Port Authority police continued to break up fights, according to officials.

A chaperone policy was not in effect at the time of the incidents, authorities said.

Market Square was the site of the 2026 Juneteenth in the Square event from Friday through Sunday. Organizer William B. Marshall announced Saturday on Facebook Live that children attending the festival at the square should be accompanied by an adult.