Danvers, MA - An evening garden party at a popular golf and country club was
disturbed last night by a large and rowdy gang of hooligans. The ensuing
riot resulted in extensive damage, and not a few injuries among the
party-goers.
A private evening gathering of the New Dawn Golf and Country Club's Lifetime
Members Association was in progress when the hooligans attempted to "crash"
the party. Apparently in response to being told that they were not welcome,
the gang became irate, and began to riot and destroy club property. They
set fires, began discharging firearms indiscriminately, and eventually
set off explosives. The club members attempted to flee, but some were
injured by wild gunshots and explosives allegedly fired by
the crowd of tresspassers.
A majority of the Danvers Police and Fire departments responded to emergency
calls resulting from the riot. The fires on the club grounds were so
extensive that additional firefighting units from nearby Beverly and Salem
had to be called in to control them. Damage to the country club's facilities
and grounds was severe, being estimated at in excess of $10 million.
Authorities are speculating as to whether this event is somehow related to a
similar but smaller riot that occurred a few days previously just west of
Arkham, in which a campsite and approximately two acres of surrounding
woodlands were damaged by fire.
