'Door kick' TikTok challenge raises safety concerns in The Woodlands

Viral door-kicking trend sparks safety concerns

A doorbell camera in The Woodlands caught a teen kicking the door of an apartment. It's part of a larger social media trend that is causing concerns.

THE WOODLANDS, TX - A viral TikTok trend known as the ‘door kick’ challenge is continuing to spark safety concerns across the Houston area.

Last month, authorities reported that kids were caught on camera kicking a front door and running away in the Heights neighborhood of Houston. Now, a similar incident has been reported in The Woodlands, alarming residents and prompting renewed warnings about the dangers of the trend.

Door kicked in at The Woodlands apartment complex

The backstory:

A resident at the Olympus Sierra Pines Apartments in The Woodlands shared surveillance video of the latest incident. The footage shows a group of teenagers and one forcefully kicks the front door, and then takes off.

The man who lives in the apartment, Adrian Calagon, said the frightening ordeal unfolded late Saturday night while he was asleep.

"I’m in bed, it’s 10-something, and I’m knocked out," Calagon recalled. "All of a sudden, I hear a big thunder. I wake up, and it sounds like my door is about to get kicked in."

Calagon said his adrenaline immediately kicked in. Believing someone was attempting to break into his home, he grabbed his gun and moved toward the door.

"I’m really nervous. I’m really scared because I don’t know what could happen," he said.

After the loud bang, everything suddenly went quiet, and he checked his Ring camera footage and saw four teenagers outside his door.

"I’m thinking they’re laughing, joking," he said. "And I was prepared to blow your head off."

Safety concerns surrounding ‘door kick’ challenge

Calagon said what disturbed him most was how close the situation came to turning tragic.

"They probably would’ve got shot," he said. "All I could think was that you’re playing around and someone’s life could’ve been in jeopardy. My life would’ve been changed forever."

As he put his gun away and tried to calm down, he heard more banging nearby. He believes the teens targeted another neighbor’s door before running away. Calagon went outside and confronted them.

"This is Texas," he said. "Anybody would’ve thought someone’s intruding. If that door would’ve swung open, bullets would’ve been flying."

The force of the kick damaged his door frame, reinforcing just how aggressive the act was.

Message to parents and teens

What they're saying:

Calagon said he reached out to FOX 26 to raise awareness about the potentially deadly consequences of the viral challenge.

"I really just want to provide exposure," he said. "A warning to parents, administrators, to kids, I know you’re doing stuff for likes, I know you want to fit in, but it’s not worth your life. It’s not worth someone else’s life."

He emphasized that in a state like Texas, where many residents legally own firearms, these types of pranks can quickly escalate into life-or-death situations.

"It’s not worth it," he said. "You have a long life to live. Your family loves you. Your community loves you. It’s not worth the likes, not worth ending your life or ending up in jail over playing around."

Incident reported to authorities

Calagon reported the incident to law enforcement, notified his apartment complex management, and reached out to local school leaders in hopes of preventing similar incidents.

He hopes spreading the word will encourage parents to talk to their children about the risks associated with viral social media challenges, especially those that can be mistaken for attempted break-ins.

As this trend continues to surface in neighborhoods from Houston to The Woodlands, residents and authorities alike warn: what may seem like a harmless prank online can carry serious, even deadly, consequences in real life.