‘Devious lick’ TikTok challenge leaves school buses damaged, 4 arrested, PA cops say

Four people — including an adult — were arrested last week and are accused of causing more than $10,000 worth of damage while taking part in a TikTok challenge.

The three juveniles and adult caused more than $10,000 worth of damage to a fleet of Littlestown School District buses, police said. They also broke into several vehicles and damaged property at multiple homes, according to Littlestown police.

It was allegedly for a TikTok video and part of a challenge where social media users are encouraged to share videos of damage they have caused — often to schools. Schools across the United States have reported vandalism as a result of the viral trend, called the “devious licks” challenge.

The four people involved in the Littlestown incident were seen running just after they committed the acts from 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 3, police said. They were identified through social media posts after they documented their challenge activities.

At least 15 school buses and vans were damaged during the incident, and the school district’s superintendent said their actions could have resulted in school being canceled for the day, according to WHP.

Carter Davenport, a 19-year-old from Littlestown, was arrested along with three juveniles who were not named. They were each charged with institutional vandalism, criminal trespassing, theft from a motor vehicle, criminal mischief, and loitering and prowling at night, police said. Two of the juveniles are from Maryland.

The individuals involved are not a part of the Littlestown Area School District, WHP reported.

Charles Kellar, the Littlestown chief of police, “urged parents to monitor their children’s social media activities as well as warning them of the repercussions of participating in these types of challenges.”

In a statement to McClatchy News last month, TikTok said it does “not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities.”

“We are removing this content and redirecting hashtags and search results to our Community Guidelines to discourage such behavior,” a TikTok spokesperson said.

This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 11:43 AM with the headline "‘Devious lick’ TikTok challenge leaves school buses damaged, 4 arrested, PA cops say."