Five Massachusetts college students are facing serious criminal charges, including kidnapping and conspiracy, after an alleged prank targeting a soldier went drastically wrong. The incident, which occurred at Assumption University on October 1, involved a group of approximately 30 students who ambushed the 22-year-old soldier after he was invited to campus by an 18-year-old female student via the dating app Tinder.

The students' actions were reportedly inspired by the NBC series "To Catch a Predator" and a related TikTok trend. According to court documents and reports from WCVB, the students hid and filmed themselves confronting the soldier, accusing him of being a sexual offender. They then physically prevented him from leaving the student lounge. Although the female student's Tinder profile clearly stated her age as 18, the group appeared to be attempting to portray the soldier as someone seeking to meet with a minor. Video footage reviewed by police showed the soldier and the female student watching a baseball game together prior to the incident, with no indication of inappropriate behavior.

The situation escalated as the soldier managed to escape the lounge, with around 25 students pursuing him. One student, a minor, allegedly punched the soldier in the back of the head. Upon reaching his car, another student slammed the car door on his head. It remains unclear if the soldier sustained injuries. Disturbingly, police reports indicate the students returned to the building, laughing and celebrating their actions.

The victim's father revealed to WCVB that his son is an active-duty Army soldier and was deployed overseas just days after the incident. Four of the students involved, Easton Randall (19), Kelsy Brainard (18), Isabella Trudeau (18), and Joaquin Smith (18), are facing charges of kidnapping and conspiracy. Brainard also faces an intimidation charge. Kevin Carroll (18), the student accused of slamming the car door on the soldier's head, is charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon. The students are scheduled for a court appearance on January 16.

Assumption University President Greg Weiner condemned the incident as "abhorrent and antithetical" to the university's values. He highlighted the irony of the situation given the victim's military service, emphasizing the sacrifices made by those who defend freedoms, including the pursuit of education. The university's Department of Public Safety immediately launched an investigation following the incident.