HARTLAND, Wis. — A Hartland veteran is speaking out after nearly confronting teenagers with a gun when they targeted his home as part of a dangerous TikTok challenge in the middle of the night.
Ben Pechacek was awake just after midnight when he received alerts from his Ring camera showing people approaching his home.
"I saw two people walking up the driveway, and I immediately hit the panic on my Ring system," Pechacek said.
Watch: Hartland veteran warns about dangerous TikTok door kick challenge
What happened next triggered his military combat training.
"They kicked the door. That's what set me off and I said, ‘Oh, they are trying to break in,’” he said.
Pechacek grabbed his gun and ran outside while his wife called 911, but the individuals had already driven away.
TMJ4 has learned this incident is part of a troubling pattern across Waukesha County communities. The "Door Kick Challenge" has teens recording themselves ringing doorbells and kicking or hitting doors before running away.
"It was some very dumb decisions by some young people that could have gone a very different way if I was about 8 seconds faster," Pechacek said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies in Waukesha County reported similar instances.
Hartland Police said they believe the teens in Pechacek's video were participating in the viral TikTok challenge. Elm Grove Police released surveillance video asking for help identifying a masked person caught on camera doing something similar. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Office reported multiple similar incidents, particularly in Sussex.
When asked why he wanted to speak to TMJ4 News about his experience, Pechacek's message was clear.
"If the individual responsible for this takes any lessons, it is not funny. It is not cool. It won't make you popular. It will get you killed," he said.
Pechacek has since posted warning signs outside his home. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with these incidents.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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