ALEXANDRIA, Va. β Three masked intruders who terrorized an Alexandria family earlier this month, banging on their door and threatening to break in, have been identified as the family's own cousins in what police are calling a "horrific prank."
Surveillance video from the incident shows the masked individuals at the family's door, making threats to break in and harm those inside. The terrifying scene prompted the woman inside to call her brother, who arrived at the scene armed with a gun.
Watch: Masked intruders threaten Virginia family in frightening doorbell camera footage
Police say the masked intruders were actually the family's cousins from Fairfax County.
Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire said the prank could have resulted in tragedy.
"While this incident may not result in a criminal prosecution, for me, my team, and for this community, it represents a moral failure," McGuire said. "A moral failure where consequences could result in deadly consequences. I want to specify this because we have saw this type behavior around the country, where people have done pranks and they have resulted in people being seriously injured or losing their lives."
The family has chosen not to press charges against their relatives.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
π²: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially 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. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
