Three teenagers in Florida were taken into custody after authorities say they pushed a viral social media challenge too far.
WFLA News Channel 8 reports that the teens were arrested on Nov. 23 for allegedly taking part in a “door kick” challenge. The TikTok trend encourages participants to kick or pound loudly on the doors of random homes — often late at night — before running off.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the arrests followed a 911 call from a resident on Sweetbrier Branch Lane who believed a burglary might be in progress and reported that someone was “attempting to kick their door in.”
In audio from the call obtained by Good Morning America, the caller said they did not see any weapons on the teens but noted that her husband was ready to answer the door with a gun.
In video recorded that night, an officer can be heard confronting the teens: “You guys want to get shot by a homeowner when you’re kicking their door, and they think you’re breaking in to kill them?”
“No sir,” one teen responded.
The sheriff’s office told GMA that the teens had gone to multiple homes in the neighborhood, and their actions were captured on camera. They were charged with loitering and prowling, and one teen also faces a criminal mischief charge related to property damage.
“This ‘challenge’ is not a harmless prank,” the sheriff’s office told WFLA News Channel 8. “As you heard in the audio, the complainants were armed, waiting at the front door to shoot the possible intruder. Participating in this criminal act has serious and possibly life-changing consequences.”
