NJ pranksters lose $700 during TikTok ‘door-kicking’ challenge

A New Jersey homeowner lost $700 — and nearly had a heart attack — when masked pranksters attacked his front door. Part of a perverted TikTok challenge Police have warned that this could have fatal consequences.

The so-called “door-kicking” challenge has inspired groups of teenagers across the country to kick the front doors of strangers’ houses as hard as possible before they run away while filming for scenes. Often, teenagers cover their faces and strike late at night.

But police agencies across the US have warned that the social media trend can be costly, criminal and deadly.

In the Garden State, East Orange Police issued a recent alert to the public on Saturday, alerting them to incidents of “door kicking” in the area.

“The ‘door-kicking challenge’ is not just a harmless trend,” the police department said. “Videos on TikTok show that this challenge is happening in cities across the country, and that it is a dangerous activity that can lead to significant property damage and personal injury.”

The warning states that the prank “is a serious misdemeanor offense and may result in jail time and/or a fine.”

One homeowner who was targeted said the loud bang was terrifying.

“My dog ​​starts running downstairs because he hears a bang that’s extremely loud,” said East Orange resident Amanda Gross. told ABC7,

Hundreds of dollars worth of property damage due to social media prank.

“Getting my mom to spend the extra $700 because it was a challenge…what was the challenge? To scare us to death? Because it’s so pathetic,” she said.

But officials said the potential consequences could be even worse for the pranksters than the victims.

A law enforcement officer told the local news station, “For our residents and homeowners, you know it may scare them, but for those who are participating, it could be dangerous or even life-threatening. “

there are many landlords unaware of tiktok challenge – which first went viral in 2021 – and mistook the pranksters for the real thieves.

When the risky stunt first surfaced, Jennifer Pritchard of the Petaluma Police Department, California, said that people unfamiliar with social media trends might interpret the prank as a “real life or death situation.”

“You don’t know what ways they will protect that could cause real, real harm,” she said at the time. “When people feel their home or their family is threatened, they will respond similarly to protect their property or family.”

Orange County Police are encouraging any victims or witnesses to contact their officers.