An old social media challenge gaining ground in the Bay Area has prompted police to issue a new warning.
Viral videos on TikTok show kids pounding and kicking at doors in the middle of the night. Recent videos posted to the Nextdoor pages for Clayton, Concord and Walnut Creek all show the same thing - young teens knocking and kicking on strangers' doors late at night before running away.
"It's not funny at that point," Concord resident Loren Thompson said. "That is not a doorbell ditch. That's a let's see who we can terrorize tonight."
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Thompson's Ring camera caught kids knocking and running from his door several times over the past few days.
"We were in bed and heard this huge pounding on the outside of the house," Thompson said. "And it was pretty aggressive."
Thompson even followed one group of what he believes are 12 year olds after witnessing them target his neighbor. When he caught up to them, they denied being involved.
"I'm concerned that it is going to be a trend that we are stuck with," Thompson said. "I'm really concerned that our kids' parents don't know where they are."
The late night banging is believed to be a reignited version of the TikTok "kick door" challenge where teens posted videos showing people pounding on doors to the beat of a song before running away.
Walnut Creek police said multiple people reported similar cases last year and explain it is more dangerous than it seems, especially in the dark.
Police said they have not received any formal reports on recent cases, but are encouraging parents to talk to their children - not only for the neighbors, but for their kids' own safety.
"Something is going to happen. Someone is going to get hurt doing something crazy," Thompson said. "And that's the last thing we want."
