Fireworks shot at people, buildings in Victoria Park: Police

A chaotic scene described in Victoria Park Monday night, where long weekend celebrations reportedly got out of control.

Officers were called out around 7:26 p.m. to multiple reports of people in the area shooting fireworks at people and buildings in the park.

Police said they responded to a number of incidents in the park including large crowds of people blocking roadways and businesses, as well as fireworks being set off toward officers and out of moving vehicles.

A post on social media said the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) had closed the park as of 9 p.m.

Police reported that roughly 19 WRPS officers worked alongside bylaw officers for over four hours to clear the park, working to restore safety as they dispersed several hundred people who had gathered for Victoria Day fireworks displays.

In addition, a 14-year-old has been charged with assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose — the investigation surrounding that arrest is still ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

There’s no word on any injuries as a result of the celebrations and surrounding disturbances.

Police had all entrances to the park still closed on Tuesday morning.

Victoria Park has since reopened and only a few pieces of garbage remain.

Kitchener’s Mayor Berry Vrbanovic released a statement on behalf of Kitchener Council. The full statement can be read below.

“At the City of Kitchener, we have a commitment to build a city for everyone where, together, we take care of the world around us and each other. As Mayor, I believe that I need to speak up when the safety and well-being of our residents has been jeopardized.  

I am deeply concerned by the level of reckless hooliganism experienced from a significant group of young people in Victoria Park and on surrounding streets yesterday evening. The unsanctioned gathering quickly escalated into a situation marked by unsafe and violent behaviour, including the inappropriate use of fireworks. 

These actions were unacceptable and posed significant risks to public safety. The unauthorized use of fireworks not only endangered those present, but also caused undue stress and harm to our community.  

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our City of Kitchener Bylaw and Security teams, as well as emergency services, including the Waterloo Region Police Service, City of Kitchener Fire and Region of Waterloo EMS who acted swiftly and courageously to manage the situation and prevent further harm. Their professionalism and dedication are commendable, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their continued service. 

As a result of this event, I have asked our staff to debrief both internally, and with our community emergency service partners on the events of yesterday evening, and to investigate what steps can be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring again. This could include working closely with community leaders and organizations, including our local school boards and other youth-based organizations to educate our youth on the dangers of such dangerous behaviours.   

Our city is a place where we should all feel safe and welcome. Let us use this incident as a reminder of the importance of mutual respect, responsibility, and adherence to the laws and guidelines that keep us all safe.”

Mayor Vrbanovic spoke to The Mike Farwell Show after the statement was released. He said he recognized this incident isn’t indicative of the youth in Waterloo Region, “The vast majority of young people are good, responsible citizens, doing the great things teenagers do in our community.” He added, “There is no place for the kind of behavior we saw Monday night.”

Molly Atherton lives downtown Kitchener and often takes her infant son for walks in the park. She’s curious as to where the fireworks even came from.

“Don’t you have to be 18 to buy them? like where did they get all these fireworks that they all had some? I wonder too, was this an organized thing like hey everybody meet at this spot and were going to throw fireworks at each other.”

Atherton said it hasn’t scared her from walking around downtown but hopes not to see it happen again.

“It’s one thing if they were throwing it at passers by or throwing it at buildings or cars or other people who weren’t involved. If you’re a teenager and you go to a place like this and it’s clear what’s going on, I mean you kind of know what’s going to happen.”

It was the second year that chaos unfolded in Victoria Park on Victoria Day. In 2023, police responded to a similar series of disturbances which involved alleged assaults, fires, and fireworks being shot at the public and police officers.