A social media stunt that challenges participants to run to strangers’ homes, kick their front doors and flee is circulating again. California police are warning that the so-called prank can result in far more serious consequences than property damage.
The Irvine Police Department shared surveillance footage showing people participating in the “Door Kick Challenge.” The trend involves forcefully kicking a home’s front door, filming the act and escaping before anyone comes to the entrance.
“This isn’t a prank. It’s vandalism, and it can end badly,” the department said.
The surveillance clips show groups approaching homes and then running off. In one video, several boys gather outside a residence while one repeatedly knocks. As the group retreats, one boy turns around and kicks the door.
Surveillance footage shows a group approaching the front door of an Irvine, California, home as police warn residents about the “Door Kick Challenge.” (Credit: Irvine Police Department)
Authorities said the challenge can damage homes, frighten residents and create the possibility of a dangerous encounter between participants and homeowners.
“A damaged door, a scared homeowner, a dangerous confrontation, criminal charges or someone getting seriously hurt can all be part of the outcome,” the department said.
Irvine police have received more than 20 reports connected to the Door Kick Challenge since October, including complaints from targeted residents and accounts from witnesses, Officer Ziggy Azarcon told News Media.
Seven of those incidents led to vandalism reports, which are being investigated by the department’s Youth Services Unit.
“We have seen an increase in this last month, even though this has been an ongoing trend for the last couple of years,” Azarcon said.
Police are asking parents to speak with their children about the potential dangers and legal consequences of joining the trend.
A doorbell camera captures a person during an earlier “ding-dong ditch” incident, a similar prank to the “Door Kick Challenge” now prompting warnings from California authorities. (Bradenton Police Department)
“These residents don’t know who’s on the other side kicking their door,” Azarcon said. “It may scare them and cause them to take action, and the last thing we want is to see someone get hurt.”
The Irvine warning was issued less than a week after a similar door-knocking incident in Boise, Idaho, ended with gunfire.
Boise police said a group of boys had been playing “ding-dong ditch” at a home on Nov. 7. When they returned to the property, the resident chased them and fired a weapon. A 15-year-old boy was hit and suffered injuries initially described as serious or critical, although they were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police arrested 45-year-old Darin Young on a felony aggravated battery charge.
A comparable prank in Houston last year had an even more tragic outcome.
Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, was charged with murder after allegedly shooting an 11-year-old boy who had taken part in a ding-dong-ditch prank. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip | City of Houston)
After a family birthday celebration, 11-year-old Julian Guzman and his cousin repeatedly knocked on a man’s door and ran away as they played “ding-dong ditch,” FOX 26 Houston reported.
According to investigators, Leon eventually emerged from behind a gate and fired twice. One bullet struck the ground, while the other hit Guzman.
The boy was hospitalized in critical condition and died the next day.
Leon was later indicted on a capital murder charge in connection with Guzman’s death. In May, a judge set his bond at $1.5 million.
Although the Boise and Houston cases involved “ding-dong ditch” rather than the Door Kick Challenge, both demonstrate how quickly a prank at a stranger’s home can turn dangerous.
Irvine police are encouraging parents to explain the risks, legal ramifications and potentially devastating consequences associated with the online challenge.
“What might get a few laughs or likes online can have very real consequences offline,” the department said.