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Police in Florida issued a warning after a group of minors took part in the “door kick challenge,” a social media trend aimed at frightening homeowners.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that five juvenile suspects were walking around a neighborhood in Riverview, Florida, when two of them approached a house. Officials said one of the individuals, who was wearing a ski mask, kicked the front door and fired an airsoft gun.
The minors then fled the area.
Deputies said the “door kick challenge” could turn into a dangerous situation and encouraged parents to talk to their children.
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The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said five minors were walking around Riverview, Florida. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
“The door kick challenge is a prank circulating on social media. #teamHCSO is asking parents to speak to their children about this dangerous trend, which could end in tragedy,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
Video released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows an individual approaching the front door before kicking it several times, firing an airsoft gun and then fleeing the area.
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The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said one of the minors approached a house, kicked in the door and fired an airsoft gun. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Titania Jordan, CMO and chief parent officer at Bark Technologies, a parental control app, previously told Fox News Digital that teens are doing this social media trend to get attention.
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The minors could be seen fleeing the area. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
“This sort of content is going to get likes. It’s going to get comments. It is going to get shares. It’s going to encourage children to try to emulate it because it’s clout — they gain clout from their peers because of this,” Jordan said. “Any challenge like this, children aren’t thinking, ‘Is this the right thing to do? Is this safe?’ They’re thinking, ‘I want validation,’ and children are going to get killed. I mean, just one person who is armed who gets their door kicked in by a kid, and you’re gonna have another national headline that is very sad.”
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.