Illegal Fight Club Busted at Long Island Swim Center

A clandestine fight event was halted at a swim center on Long Island last night, resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals. Police responded around 6 p.m. to reports of gunfire near the Brookhaven Aquatic Center in Shirley and uncovered an unauthorized underground fight ring.

During the altercation, one participant pulled out a weapon and discharged blank shots, injuring two males aged 17 and 19. Both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Thirteen people were arrested when Suffolk County police broke up what they called an 'unauthorized fight club event' in Shirley — Most of the arrestees were between 16 and 20 years old.

Most individuals involved were teenagers and young adults, most between 16 and 20 years of age. One suspect, Devine Brown, 25, from Mastic Beach, was charged with assault, menacing, illegal possession of a weapon, and unlawful assembly. He was held overnight and is set for arraignment on Monday.

This incident marks the second time in recent weeks that police have shut down a fight club in Suffolk County. Earlier in June, officers disbanded a large brawl at Walt Whitman Park in Melville, which was promoted on social media and attracted around 70 people mostly in their early 20s.

The concept of underground fight clubs gained notoriety through Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel “Fight Club,” which was inspired by real-life experiences of participating in such events. The story was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film in 1999.