Home Invasion or Prank?

[Ben]

This is an interesting one to me (with the caveat, as always, being what is reported in the article).

It is obviously not an actual home invasion, but appears to be, thanks to TikTok, a prank gone too far. Basically some High Schoolers were doing a "ding dong ditch" TikTok challenge. We did ding dong ditch all the time when I was a kid, but we would never have considered kicking and banging on doors at 0300. If I hear those sounds at zero dark thirty, I'm grabbing a gun (also, we did ding dong ditch during "normal" hours and the whole point was just knocking or ringing the bell to make things sound "normal").

The story is unclear, but the defendant's attorney seems to be suggesting that the teens went beyond the threshold of outside vs inside of the house. Though of course in many states it wouldn't matter, in some cases in the homeowners favor, in other's in the perpetrator's favor. Given the circumstances, murder seems like a hard charge to prove though.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-homeowner-charged-murder-after-shooting-high-school-teen-during-attempted-break-in-sheriff-says

EDIT: Actually, after re-reading the article, I suppose you would have to believe the teens were really doing the TikTok challenge and not using that as an excuse for attempting a break-in.

[Boomhauer]

They call it ding dong ditch when it isn’t for the same reason the only picture you saw of Michael Brown was when he was a middle schooler.

Neither is factual of what is occurring.

[dogmush]

I suspect this will end up being one of the cases where the "Reasonable Person" standard comes in.  How aggressive were they being in their prank, and would a "reasonable Person" be in fear they were coming in?

Good news (or not) is that there aught to be video of what they did exactly.

I can't read the article behind Fox's paywall, but from my Monday morning quarterback spot, I kinda think the line is did they breech the house.  Not even did they walk inside, but did a window break or did the door get kicked open?  If not, you have some rowdy unkowns outside.  Get a gun, call the police, use the time to prepare your position.  If the door opens, or a window breaks, repel borders (PID and "Know your target AND WHAT'S BEYOND" apply, of course).  That's just my real quick hot take.

[Ben]

Good news (or not) is that there aught to be video of what they did exactly.

I can't read the article behind Fox's paywall,

If your browser has reader mode, it will bypass the paywall. The article mentioned that there was video from a neighbor's security camera that showed them kicking and banging. It wasn't clear if they made entry. That was alluded to by the defendant's attorney.

[dogmush]

If they were filming it for Tik Tok, I would assume one or more of them have up close video on their phones.  If they don't, or deleted the video I would view their story with a LOT more skepticism.

[Brad Johnson]

I love the way it's reported as "innocent teens doing a Ding Dong Ditch". Horse crapt. It was three people the owner didn't know pounding and kicking on the door like violent thugs. If that happened at our place I would perceive it as an immediate threat of serious bodily injury or death. I'd likely have fired on them, too.

[HankB]

Simply ringing a doorbell - at ANY hour of the day or night - isn't an attempt at forcible entry or home invasion.

Kicking a door and banging on it ARE actions a reasonable person would perceive as an  attempt at forced entry by violent criminals, especially in the middle of the night.

I'd like to know if the homeowner shot through the door itself,  opened it and shot through the opening, or if the perps smashed their way through the door with their kicks and slams.

[Kingcreek]

There is no such thing as an innocent teenager.

[230RN]

   

"I explained how that 'selection' thing worked already, but natural processes have to be allowed to operate freely." --Charles Darwin

The kids apparently were doing what they should not have been doing, fine points of the situation notwithstanding.  Natural attrition by one.

[castle key]

President Biden suggested a shotgun blast through the door....

[Bogie]

At least one news article said they were actually kicking in doors...

[JTHunter]

President Biden suggested a shotgun blast through the door....

The zombie called for 2 shots in the air.

[dogmush]

The unwounded teen has said (as quoted in the press) that they had hit the door and "as they were running from a residence, he and his friends were shot at."  Obviously it would be better if there were evidence other than from the mouth of the person causing the problem, but taken at face value that's going to be a hard shoot to justify. Even if they actually kicked the door in, shooting them as they retreat makes it harder to convince people you were in fear of immanent harm.

This is also a suburb of Mordor, so cops and juries are going to be less sympathetic to the homeowner than other places in the US.

The teens also said that they had "video of them doing the prank elsewhere earlier in the day".  I'll say again that if they are claiming they were doing a TikTok prank, and don't have video of that actual event, I tend not to believe them.

[castle key]

Indeed, through the door.


https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/02/28/biden-advises-shooting-shotgun-through-door

[AZRedhawk44]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/us/virginia-teen-shot-ding-dong-ditch-tiktok-prank.html

The teenagers had been in the neighborhood to make a TikTok video, one of them told investigators in an affidavit filed in Spotsylvania Circuit Court. A “ding dong ditch” prank involves ringing doorbells or knocking on the front doors of houses before running away, and has become popular fodder for social media videos.

“The juvenile advised it’s something that people are doing to put on TikTok,” the affidavit said.

The group had knocked on a few doors in the area, one of the teenagers told a detective, adding that they were not familiar with the neighborhood. They were running away from a residence when they were shot, according to the affidavit. At least one video showing the teenagers doing the prank was still on one of the friends’ phones, the affidavit said.

Video exists, but it's probably shaky-cam with a bunch of laughing, pointed at grass, and no footage of actions.  Audio clues only at best, would be my guess.

But by the description of the article I linked, it sounds like old fashioned serial ding dong ditch in a neighborhood.  Several houses in a row.  Not picking one and trying to break in.

However, this article:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/virginia-teenager-shot-killed-homeowner-filming-tiktok-prank-video-rcna205218

Says that they DON'T have video of this specific DDD instance with the shooting, but only of one prior in the day.

According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by NBC News, one of the teens told detectives that they were recording ding-dong ditch pranks for a TikTok video, in which they ring people's doorbells and then run away. The teen said that they had been to a couple of homes in the neighborhood and that he was not familiar with the area.

"The juvenile stated that they had run to hide. The juvenile said as they were running from a residence, he and his friends were shot at," the affidavit says.

The other teen gave a similar account and told detectives that he had a video on his phone of them doing the prank earlier that day, according to the affidavit.

It really does sound like an otherwise irritating but "legitimate" DDD that hit the wrong house and home owner... not a B&E.

[Boomhauer]

So sayeth the shithead journalists, who would NEVER purposefully lie or misrepresent situations

[Ben]

It really does sound like an otherwise irritating but "legitimate" DDD that hit the wrong house and home owner... not a B&E.

IMO, ding dong ditch at 0300 is very borderline legitimate. IANAL, but it seems a defense attorney could make a really good case that most reasonable people would consider a ring, knock, bang, or kick on their door anytime in the zero dark thirty range as suspicious and hostile.

[AZRedhawk44]

IMO, ding dong ditch at 0300 is very borderline legitimate. IANAL, but it seems a defense attorney could make a really good case that most reasonable people would consider a ring, knock, bang, or kick on their door anytime in the zero dark thirty range as suspicious and hostile.

Right.  Agreed.  Not defending the practice.  Rude AF.  Dangerous, given the state of mind of people at the homes.  But also not saying that a traditional DDD is grounds for justifiable homicide.

Put yourself on the jury:  Is it reasonable to shoot (through the door?  out a window?  pursue out the door and fire at subjects in flight?  We don't know...) people for DDD?  As dick as it is to do to people, no reasonable person will say that homicide is justified.

[Brad Johnson]

But also not saying that a traditional DDD is grounds for justifiable homicide.

The TikTok Challenge isn't a traditional DDD. It's banging and hammering on the door with the full and directed intent of scaring occupants.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

The TikTok Challenge isn't a traditional DDD. It's banging and hammering on the door with the full and directed intent of scaring occupants.

Brad

They yearn for the urn

[AZRedhawk44]

The TikTok Challenge isn't a traditional DDD. It's banging and hammering on the door with the full and directed intent of scaring occupants.

Brad

If a jury's evaluation of the Challenge finds that the intent is to simulate feelings of a home assault, then a reasonable member of a jury should consider that no different than an attempt at B&E.

First article was paywalled and the two I found that I linked did not mention an elevated form of DDD.  I've not seen any reference to attempts to breach the house or make faux efforts at doing so.

It still boils down to what States allow homeowners to begin the application of lethal force at the perception of B&E or first effort to breach, versus the actual breaching of an entryway.

It sounds like Virginia wants the bad guy 10-toes-up inside the house though.  Not on the porch, or the lawn, or down the street.

[Northwoods]

As a general rule I've always assumed that until they open a door, or break a window that I should hold any fire.

If the occupant fired through a closed door or windows, in a lot of jurisdictions he'd be cooked.  If the door was opened, even slightly, by the miscreants, he's probably legally OK.

Hopefully this puts a stop to such a stupid "prank" by others.

[dogmush]

Here's some videos of the more "aggressive " door knock challenge.   While I wouldn't call this Ding Dong Ditch, I also don't see anything in a quick Social Media scan that would make me open fire, or vote it was justified.  Obviously,  we'll have to see what the evidence in this particular case shows.

https://x.com/USACarry/status/1920211670263034301?t=50ZzVuoeY8JXmSaeVLxfbg&s=09

Local to me news: https://www.fox13news.com/news/homeowners-warn-of-dangers-of-tiktok-door-knock-challenge

https://youtu.be/b25gDkl56Pk?si=gEVoINjv9jBzHFZh

https://x.com/DCNewsLive/status/1841970359479697828?t=04wGma01vOv2KzeTWkbvbQ&s=09

https://x.com/Dapper_Det/status/1738266874939326973?t=SmYTdBLg6JwKH8uvfwnBkQ&s=09

[Hawkmoon]

This is not a TikTok version of Ding Dong Ditch. This is the Door KICK Challenge. Different animal.

Play stupid games -- win stupid prizes.

[MechAg94]

Here's some videos of the more "aggressive " door knock challenge.   While I wouldn't call this Ding Dong Ditch, I also don't see anything in a quick Social Media scan that would make me open fire, or vote it was justified.  Obviously,  we'll have to see what the evidence in this particular case shows.

https://x.com/USACarry/status/1920211670263034301?t=50ZzVuoeY8JXmSaeVLxfbg&s=09

Local to me news: https://www.fox13news.com/news/homeowners-warn-of-dangers-of-tiktok-door-knock-challenge

https://youtu.be/b25gDkl56Pk?si=gEVoINjv9jBzHFZh

https://x.com/DCNewsLive/status/1841970359479697828?t=04wGma01vOv2KzeTWkbvbQ&s=09

https://x.com/Dapper_Det/status/1738266874939326973?t=SmYTdBLg6JwKH8uvfwnBkQ&s=09

IMO, it isn't unknown for people to take some of these things too far.  Some people take things too far.  What if the door swung open as they were kicking it?  Any number of ways this could have ended up going further than intended. 

On the other side of the coin, we have also seen stories of homeowners taking it too far as well.  Mrgunsngear posted this one recently. 
https://www.instagram.com/mrgunsngearpart2/reel/DJaMmn1vqrl/
https://nypost.com/2025/05/07/us-news/ny-town-of-chester-highway-superintendent-john-j-reilly-iii-arrested-for-shooting-doordash-driver/

If the homeowner was one to shoot outside, I would be surprised if they were able to avoid saying as much once the police arrived, or if evidence wouldn't show what they did.