Nassau police will ramp up enforcement after attack on teens near Merrick fair, Commissioner Ryder says

Nassau police are ramping up enforcement at summer events after two teenagers were attacked, allegedly by two other teens, outside a Merrick fair over Memorial Day weekend, according to the Nassau police commissioner.

Two girls, ages 13 and 14, were charged in the attack after video on social media helped to identify them, Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told Newsday. The 13-year-old was charged with two counts of third-degree assault. The 14-year-old faces four counts of third-degree assault charges. Their names were not released because of their ages.

Ryder said his department is stepping up the gathering of online intelligence and putting more boots on the ground over the summer season in the hopes of cracking down on what he and others have said is an increasing trend of youths using social media to amplify violent behavior.

"Fair warning, we're already aware of a couple that are coming. We are going to be out there, we're going to put the resources, we have a zero tolerance for it, we will not have it," Ryder said.

The video of the Merrick attack shows two girls beating two victims at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, as carnival rides glow in the background.

The mother of one of the victims from Friday's ambush, Kelly Moran, said her daughter was recovering from a concussion but still feared for her safety. Moran obtained video of the attack, which she posted on Facebook and which, she said, helped lead to arrests. Moran said her daughter did not know the teens who attacked her. 

Nassau police are now pursuing the young people who were seen and heard on the video urging others to join in on the attack.

The Suffolk County Police Department also tracks social media to keep abreast of any planned gatherings and more.

"The Suffolk County Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence Section leads a weekly meeting of the Behavioral Threat Management Team, comprised of law enforcement and mental health professionals, during which potential threats ranging from school to workplace are analyzed in an effort to prevent incidents before they occur,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said in a statement.

Some online-fueled events have made headlines on Long Island recently.

In April, a 15-year-old boy was killed and two men were wounded at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow during a barbecue for an alleged "gang group" that had been promoted on social media.

In February, a video of several hundred juveniles at a takeover event at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream went viral and ended with nearly a dozen teenagers from New York City arrested. In June 2025, another "unauthorized event" organized online drew high school and college students to Jones Beach, and descended into mayhem when four people were injured after fights broke out. One man was arrested at that event.

By Lorena Mongelli

lorena.mongelli@newsday.com

Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.