Massive Car Rallies Disrupt Rockville Businesses

Surveillance footage shows hundreds gathering in industrial complex parking lots, leaving damage and concerns for safety.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 9:04pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of broken glass and skid marks on the pavement of a parking lot, conveying the gritty aftermath of the unauthorized car rallies disrupting local businesses.Unauthorized car rallies leave a trail of damage in the parking lots of Rockville's industrial businesses.Rockville Today

Business owners in Rockville, Maryland are calling for increased police presence after surveillance cameras captured massive crowds of people gathering in the parking lots of an industrial business complex over the past several weekends. The crowds, which can reach hundreds of people and cars, leave behind skid marks, broken glass, and other debris, and have even prompted a reported shots fired call that police responded to but found no evidence of. The business owners say they are concerned about property damage and the safety of their employees and customers.

Why it matters

These large, unauthorized gatherings on private property are disrupting local businesses and raising public safety concerns in the Rockville community. The business owners feel powerless to stop the events and are looking to law enforcement to provide a stronger deterrent and response.

The details

According to Dottie Costopoulos, a business owner in the complex, the crowds have been gathering most weekends for almost a month, starting around 1:30 or 2:00 AM and lasting until police break them up around 4 or 5 AM. The crowds block the street, play loud music from a box truck, and leave behind skid marks, broken glass, and other trash. Costopoulos says she's never seen anything like this in over 20 years of being in business at the location.

  • The crowds have been gathering most weekends for almost a month.
  • On a recent weekend, police responded to a reported shots fired call around 5:15 AM but found no evidence of a shooting.

The players

Dottie Costopoulos

A business owner in the Rockville industrial complex who has been in business at the location for over 25 years.

Montgomery County Police

The local law enforcement agency that responded to a reported shots fired call at the address but found no evidence of a shooting.

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What they’re saying

“It's happened the last four weekends. We were just alerted to it the last two weeks. Friday night, Saturday night, starting at maybe 1:30, 2:00 in the morning and until police break it up at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning.”

— Dottie Costopoulos, Business Owner

“We were in shock because of the hundreds of kids that are out here. And I say kids, we don't know for sure. Teenagers, young twenties. We have no idea. They bring a box truck one weekend with music and it's just blaring. They block up the entire street with cars parked out here on Southlawn. Cars can't get through. Regular people trying to just pass by. It's pretty serious.”

— Dottie Costopoulos, Business Owner

What’s next

Montgomery County Police say they are aware of the situation and responded to a reported shots fired call, but found no evidence of a shooting. The business owners are calling for a stronger police presence overnight to protect their property and prevent further disruptions.

The takeaway

These unauthorized car rallies in Rockville's industrial areas are causing significant disruption and safety concerns for local businesses that have operated in the community for decades. The business owners feel powerless to stop the events on their own and are looking to law enforcement to provide a more proactive response to address the problem.