Delaware Teens Arrested for Prank Involving Tactical Gear and Apparent Rifles

Two teenagers were arrested in New Castle County, Delaware, after residents reported masked figures carrying what appeared to be rifles and approaching homes late Friday night. Police identified the individuals as 16- and 17-year-old boys who were engaged in a prank, according to a statement released Monday.

The New Castle County Police Department confirmed the arrests Sunday evening. The incident prompted an investigation that included a search warrant executed at one of the teens' homes, where officers recovered a gel bead gun, a tactical vest, and a hockey-style mask.

Both juveniles have been charged with two misdemeanor counts of harassment, one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief, and two criminal trespassing violations. Police stated that the teens were knocking on residents' doors late at night as part of a prank that caused alarm but that no threats of violence were made.

Authorities began investigating after receiving reports from residents in the Mallard Pointe neighborhood around 10:50 p.m. Friday. Surveillance images released by the police depicted individuals wearing masks and tactical-style vests, one of whom was seen holding an item resembling a rifle outside a front door. Another image showed a masked person in a vest approaching a residence.

Officers who responded to the scene observed four individuals heading east on Mallard Road, including two on bicycles and two on foot. Despite searching the neighborhood with a K-9 unit, officers were unable to immediately locate the individuals. Arraignment information for the juveniles was pending.

While investigators initially suspected the apparent weapons might be airsoft guns, police have not confirmed if the recovered gel bead gun was the specific item seen in surveillance footage. The incident occurred in an area where residents reported masked individuals knocking on doors before fleeing. The recovered gel bead gun was found at one of the teens' homes during the execution of a search warrant.

This event echoes a similar incident approximately two months prior in Philadelphia, where a man wearing a "Chucky"-style mask was recorded terrorizing pedestrians. That suspect, Zymire Hughes, 22, was later apprehended in Las Vegas by the U.S. Marshals Service.