Party Turns into a Memorial Day Scuffle at Silver Beach

Berrien County’s Silver Beach Park was the site of an altercation this Memorial Day. The beach was closed by local police around 8:00 pm Monday after a large party of people turned violent. The alleged cause was a boxing match being filmed for TikTok that escalated into a short-lived brawl. 

SJHS students Kayla Valdes, 11, and Eric Burrow, 10, work as lifeguards at Silver beach and witnessed the situation. 

 “I was in tower 103, in front of the bathrooms, and behind me I saw a group of four or five girls dancing on each other,” Eric said. “Every time I looked back the circle got bigger and bigger.”

 Kayla was in the office with two other guards when the fight began. 

“We were getting ready to leave after our shift when we heard yelling and whistling outside. We ran out to see what was happening, but there wasn’t much we could do since the deputies had taken over the situation,” she said. Police presence was increased at the beach the following weekend after flyers advertising another party were found circulating Facebook.

photo by chris jordan

Lifeguards and Rangers at Silver Beach County Park monitor the crowd Memorial Day Evening.