Christine Bird – stock.adobe.com
A teen was shot and wounded after a group of pals pulled a prank on a gun-toting Maine homeowner pre-dawn Saturday, according to authorities.
Vincent Martin, 30, allegedly opened fire on the teens after they targeted his house in a game of ding-dong-ditch, at around 1 a.m., the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said, according to reports.
After the teens knocked on the door of his Waterford Road house and fled, Martin opened the door and rattled off several shots, striking one of the pranksters in the right calf, the sheriff’s office said, according to News Center Maine.
The teenager, whose age and gender were not released by officials, walked into the hospital in stable condition.
When authorities arrived at the scene, deputies found a trail of blood on the roadway and arrested Martin.
He’s facing felony charges of elevated aggravated assault and aggravated reckless conduct, as well as two misdemeanor counts of discharging a firearm, the station reported.
A new take on ding-dong-ditch has become an ongoing TikTok trend where teens bang or kick a door and run away in what they call the “Door Knock” challenge.
A Texas police department warned youngsters earlier this year not to partake in the social media craze because a homeowner could confuse the prank with a burglary and start shooting.