Police Expand Crackdown at Orange Crush, Seize Machine Gun, Make 26 Arrests
A massive Orange Crush weekend crowd returned to Tybee Island, but so did a heavy police crackdown, ending with 26 arrests and a seized makeshift machine gun.
The annual beach event, rebranded as “Crush Reloaded,” drew tens of thousands, testing new security measures designed to prevent past violence and disorder.
According to Tybee Island Police and Georgia State Patrol, officers made 26 arrests, issued 100 citations, and confiscated five firearms over the three-day stretch. One weapon had been modified to fire automatically, raising immediate safety concerns.
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Officials say the stepped-up enforcement worked, with fewer arrests than some previous years and fewer major incidents reported.
But questions remain about what wasn’t disclosed, including the exact charges tied to the arrests and how close the situation came to escalating.
Mayor Brian West said the city’s security approach has helped filter out dangerous activity, but the presence of a converted weapon underscores ongoing risks tied to the event.
Authorities are expected to release more details as the investigation continues.
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