Police have uncovered more information behind the creepy doorbell footage showing three teenagers in masks outside a home in Alexandria, Virginia.
The group was actually taking part in a family prank and the teenage boys are related to the victim, ABC 7 reported Monday.
The initial incident happened on October 14 when the trio approached the home of a widow and her family, according to Breitbart News.
“Shayla Whiteside, who was visiting her mother at her Alexandria home, at first thought the appearance of the suspects was ‘a little prank’ and said through the doorbell speaker, ‘Happy Halloween,’” the outlet said, adding that one eventually told those inside to come out, while another said, “Either you’re coming out or we’re coming in.”
The video shows the three teens wearing frightening costumes standing outside the house. At one point, one of them says, “I see you.” Moments later, one of them tries to open the door:
Whiteside told reporters she asked the group to leave the property but they went into the home’s backyard and destroyed the fence in the process.
Whiteside said even after she told the group police were on their way, they did not leave:
According to the ABC article, a tip led police to find out the teens were related to the victims, and a woman later confessed to helping two of her sons and her nephew carry out the prank, law enforcement explained.
Chief Tarrick McGuire said two more adults and another child also took part in the prank and the victims were unaware it was meant to be a joke.
“The chief said one of the victims called her brother before calling the police, who then arrived with a gun, believing the prank to be a burglary,” the ABC report said.
No one pressed charges against the people involved in the prank, but law enforcement spent over 100 hours investigating what happened.
McGuire deemed the incident “very serious” and added that “I hope this is a lesson learned, not just for this particular family, but for anyone in the community during this holiday season.”
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