A social media stunt that involves running to strangers’ homes, kicking their front doors and fleeing is circulating again. California police are warning that the so-called challenge can result in far more serious consequences than property damage.
The Irvine Police Department shared surveillance footage showing participants in the “Door Kick Challenge.” The trend typically involves kicking a stranger’s door as hard as possible, recording the act and running away before anyone answers.
“This isn’t a prank. It’s vandalism, and it can end badly,” the department said.
The footage shows groups approaching homes and then sprinting away. 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.
A group approaches the front door of an Irvine, California, home in surveillance footage released as police warn residents about the “Door Kick Challenge.” (Credit: Irvine Police Department)
Authorities said the trend can leave homeowners frightened, cause property damage and create the potential for a dangerous face-to-face encounter.
“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 calls tied to the Door Kick Challenge since October, including reports from targeted residents and witnesses, Officer Ziggy Azarcon told News Outlet.
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 risks of participating in the stunt.
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 police. (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.”
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The warning was issued less than a week after a similar door-knocking prank in Boise, Idaho, ended with gunfire.
Boise police said a group of boys had been playing “ding-dong ditch” at a home Nov. 7. When they returned, the resident chased them and opened fire. A 15-year-old boy was hit and suffered injuries initially described as serious or critical, although they were not considered life-threatening.
Police arrested 45-year-old Darin Young on a felony aggravated battery charge.
A similar prank also turned fatal in Houston last year.
Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, was charged with murder after allegedly shooting an 11-year-old boy who took part in a ding-dong-ditch prank. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip | City of Houston)
Julian Guzman, 11, and his cousin repeatedly knocked on a man’s door and ran away after a family birthday celebration, FOX 26 Houston reported.
Investigators said Gonzalo Leon Jr. eventually emerged from behind a gate and fired twice. One bullet struck the ground, while the other hit Guzman.
The boy was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and died the next day.
Leon was later indicted on a capital murder charge in connection with Guzman’s death. A judge set his bond at $1.5 million in May.
Although the Boise and Houston shootings involved “ding-dong ditch” rather than the Door Kick Challenge, both cases illustrate how quickly a prank at a stranger’s home can become deadly.
Irvine police are urging parents to discuss the potential risks and legal consequences of taking part in the online challenge.
“What might get a few laughs or likes online can have very real consequences offline,” the department said.
