Residents in South Tampa are worried about a new TikTok trend reaching their neighborhood. This viral challenge is causing safety issues and disturbances in the community.
What might seem like a harmless prank, similar to ding-dong ditch, has become a source of trouble. In a South Tampa neighborhood, people like George Siegel have fallen victim to this prank multiple times.
“A lot of people in South Tampa that I don’t say they’re unhinged, but they’re edgy. And if you read next door, people have guns. People want to confront people for doing things. And this is just an accident waiting to happen,” Siegel stated.
A trend called the “kick-door challenge” encourages teenagers to knock on doors and then run away late at night.
“It was 11:15 at night. So, if you’ve had a long day and you’re trying to wrap up your day and go to sleep, that’s a very disruptive time to go pounding on somebody’s door. And you know, what are young kids doing out running around at 11:15 at night,” Siegal said.
In light of the “stand your ground” laws in the state, Siegal is alerting parents to the possible risks.
Unfortunately, it’s going to take something tragic happening. And, you know, if you read next door, which you do, you see other people say, hey, I’m waiting for somebody to do that because I’ll shoot them if they come to my house. We shouldn’t be shooting kids for doing stupid things. That’s ridiculous. But they should be held accountable,” Siegal added.
Police are urging everyone to report any crime in their neighborhood by calling the non-emergency number. In case of an emergency, dial 911.
