UPDATE: Family Prank in Virginia Sparks Fear and Police Investigation

What appeared to be a terrifying home invasion in Alexandria turned out to be an elaborate prank gone wrong. According to police, three masked individuals who tried to break into a home on South Iris Street earlier this month were actually family members of the victims.

Police Say Masked Intruders Were Family Members

Surveillance footage captured the trio—dressed in full Halloween masks—banging on the front door and shouting threats. The video quickly circulated online, sparking widespread fear across the community. After a two-week investigation involving more than 100 hours of police work, authorities identified the suspects as teenage cousins, ages 14 to 16, who had driven from Fairfax County to scare their relatives.

Mother Confesses to Orchestrating the Prank

Police said the boys’ mother confessed after investigators contacted her. She admitted that she, her two sons, her nephew, two other adults, and a child were all involved. While the teens approached the home, she remained in a car nearby, and others filmed the event from a second vehicle.

The victims, however, were unaware the so-called prank was staged by relatives. Shayla, who was visiting her mother at the time, said she feared for her life when the masked figures tried to force entry. “It’s not even a joke gone wrong,” she said. “They tried to enter into the home. My heart dropped when they said they were gonna take a chair and break down the door.”

Police Warn About Dangerous ‘Pranks’

Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire said the family decided not to press charges, and the commonwealth’s attorney declined to pursue prosecution. Still, McGuire called the incident “a moral failure.”“While this may not result in a criminal prosecution, it represents a moral failure where consequences could have been deadly,” he said.

Shayla’s brother arrived at the scene armed, unaware of who the intruders were. “Absolutely, it could have resulted deadly,” McGuire emphasized.

Neighbors remain disturbed by the incident. “I can understand family doing that as a joke, but not the way that this one was,” said Joan McGrath. “Of all the time that went into this—what a shame.”

Get our free mobile app