Nine juveniles were detained on curfew violations in Johnson County, Indiana, after authorities say they were connected to the viral door-kicking trend that has teens stomping on the doors of random homes in the middle of the night. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office is also asking the public for help identifying another suspect caught on camera wearing a sweatshirt that appears to read Iron.
According to Fox 59, the sheriff's office reported a spike in incidents involving the social media challenge and detained the nine juveniles for curfew violations rather than criminal charges tied to the pranks themselves. The office said its goals are to ensure community safety, prevent further property damage, and protect residents from the fallout of the trend.
Deputies Flood Affected Neighborhoods
The sheriff's office has deployed additional deputies to areas hit by the prank, and the department's report notes it plans to continue increased patrols throughout the county to deter further door-kicking incidents. Officials warned that the actions cause property damage, create fear for homeowners, and can escalate into dangerous situations, cautioning that the trend can lead to criminal charges, injury, or worse.
This is not the first time Johnson County has grappled with the craze. In March 2024, county law enforcement detained five juveniles in Franklin, the county seat, after residents reported teens violently banging and kicking residential front doors in the middle of the night, according to WTHR. Just weeks before this month's detentions, Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess issued a public advisory in late July after several incidents in Greenwood, the county's most populous city, including doorbell footage showing three male teens kicking a home's front and garage doors, as reported by the Daily Journal.
Why Deputies Are So Worried About a Prank
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner warned in 2024 that teens caught door-kicking could face charges including trespass and attempted residential entry, stressing that the late-night stunts can mimic a home invasion and provoke a deadly response from a frightened homeowner, per the Washington Times. Under Indiana law, minors between 15 and 17 commit a delinquent curfew violation if found in a public place late at night on most days of the week, the legal threshold cited in this month's detentions, according to Justia Law's summary of Indiana Code § 31-37-3-2.
Property damage from the prank can also be charged as criminal mischief, a Class B misdemeanor for damages under $750 that can escalate to a felony as losses grow, per Indiana Code § 35-43-1-2. If a door is actually broken open, prosecutors could pursue residential entry charges, a Level 6 felony carrying six months to 2.5 years in prison, according to the Gibson Law Office's breakdown of Indiana Code § 35-43-2-1.5.
A Trend With Deep Roots and National Consequences
The door-kicking, or “heartbeat,” prank first went viral on TikTok in October 2021 as a college dorm trend, with participants kicking doors in time with the drumbeat of Kesha's 2012 song “Die Young,” according to Police1's history of the challenge. The trend has resurfaced repeatedly since, including a June 2024 incident in Friendswood, Texas, where police detained 12 minors and arrested a 42-year-old mother following a 2:30 a.m. property damage spree connected to the challenge, as Hoodline previously reported.
The stakes of startling a homeowner in the middle of the night have proven fatal elsewhere. A Texas grand jury indicted a Houston resident on murder charges in September 2025 after he shot and killed an 11-year-old child participating in a late-night door-knocking prank outside a residential gathering. Confrontations tied to similar pranks have also turned violent for the pranksters themselves — in August, a Maryland man was charged with second-degree assault and robbery after allegedly attacking a minor and seizing his phone following a ding-dong-ditch prank at a resort hotel, a case Hoodline covered in its report on the Perryville assault charges.
Sheriff's Office Seeks Tips, Urges Parents to Talk to Kids
Johnson County authorities are asking anyone who recognizes the suspect photographed in the Iron sweatshirt to come forward, and they've encouraged parents and guardians to talk with their children about the risks of participating in the trend. The public can report information or tips to 911 or by emailing [email protected].
With increased patrols now standing in for the county's usual overnight quiet, deputies are betting that a visible presence — paired with curfew enforcement rather than felony charges — can head off the kind of confrontation that has turned deadly in other states before it happens in Johnson County.
