A terrifying viral social media prank carried out by teenagers who trick victims into thinking their home is being broken into has swept the nation.
A recent video of the purge-style incident, similar to the dystopian movie series about an America where all crime is legal for one night of the year, showed a group of five Florida teens making their way toward a home in Riverview – about 20 minutes from Tampa – on Friday around 10.40pm.
Shocking Ring doorbell footage captured the moment one of the unidentified teens walked toward the house with a ski mask covering their face and an airsoft gun in hand before the juvenile kicked the front door and fired a plastic pellet before running away, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
In the clip, the teen was seen pointing the gun at the front door and firing it as several shots rang out. He then darted out onto the street with the rest of the group, laughing as they ran.
Chronister, who called the new trend the ‘door kick challenge,’ said the prank is making waves across TikTok and needs to stop immediately.
‘Parents, please talk with your children about this dangerous trend, which could end in tragedy,’ he wrote on X alongside the clip.