Authorities caution against potentially harmful TikTok trend after teenagers’ arrest

Two adolescent boys were caught after taking part in a hazardous social media trend known as the ‘Door Kick Challenge’ on TikTok.

The boys were arrested in Florida after being caught on surveillance footage damaging the doors of four homes within a two-week period.

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office disclosed that both suspects were 15 years old and resided in close proximity to the residences they had burglarized. As a result, they were apprehended and charged with four counts of burglary of a dwelling.

After being arrested, one of the teenagers explained to the officers that they had participated in the ‘Door Kick Challenge’ but had no intention of actually entering any of the homes.

According to Fox News, Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis issued a warning to teenagers about the highly hazardous trend, as reported in a statement.

Nienhuis emphasized the strong likelihood that the teenagers who were recently arrested could have been fatally shot by homeowners who mistook them for burglars and were acting within their legal right to protect their homes.

According to Nienhuis, if this had happened, the homeowner would have been left with the weight of knowing they had caused the deaths of two teenagers who were engaging in a foolish activity.

The two 15-year-olds were subsequently taken to the Hernando County Detention Center for processing, but were later released to the custody of their parents.

The teenagers mentioned above are not shown in the footage.

@livewithjoeshow
A trend has been going around Tik-Tok where kids have been kicking in front doors… we wanted to try it out. Watch the whole thing to see who won! TTHEjoeSHOWTTjSTTampaTTampaBayFFloridaTTjSSStPeteCClearwaterDoorKickChallenge

♬ Firecracker (Instrumental) – Amber Echo

The phenomenon initially emerged on social media in 2021, with users seen kicking doors in time with Kesha’s song ‘Die Young’ before quickly fleeing.

Nevertheless, it has since advanced to the point where the song is no longer necessary, as many individuals now use it as an opportunity to kick doors without any musical accompaniment.

This is not an isolated incident as authorities have previously warned about the dangerous trend. In fact, in March of this year, five minors were arrested for participating in the trend.

After the previous arrest, the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office stated that they viewed this behavior as a serious matter and would pursue prosecution for it.