Two teenage boys have been apprehended after participating in a “dangerous” social media trend dubbed the ‘Door Kick Challenge’ on TikTok.
The arrest took place in Florida following surveillance footage capturing the boys kicking in the doors of four homes over the course of two weeks.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office revealed both were only 15 and lived within walking distance of the houses they had targeted. The boys were subsequently arrested on four counts of burglary of a dwelling.
Upon their arrest, one of the teenagers told officers that they had been taking part in the ‘Door Kick Challenge‘ but had never intended on actually entering any of the residences.
In a statement reported by Fox News, Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis warned teenagers against participating in the “exceptionally dangerous” trend.
Nienhuis pointed out the “very good possibility” that the recently arrested teenagers could have been “shot and killed” due to homeowners believing they were experiencing a break-in and “lawfully defending” their homes.
“If this occurred, the homeowner would have been burdened with the fact he or she killed two teenagers who were participating in a stupid activity,” Nienhuis said.
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The two 15-year-olds have since been processed at the Hernando County Detention Center and released into the custody of their parents.
(Footage does not show the teenagers mentioned above)
The trend first popped up on social media in 2021, which saw users kicking on doors to the beat of Kesha’s ‘Die Young’ before running away.
However, it has since evolved to no longer require the song for accompaniment, with many participants simply using it as an excuse to kick doors.
This isn’t the first time police have cautioned against the trend, with five juveniles have been arrested earlier this year in March.
Following this previous arrest, the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office revealed they took “this kind of behavior seriously” and would “prosecute for it”.
