A Virginia family has gone into hiding after three masked intruders attempted to force their way into their home in a terrifying late-night ordeal which was caught on a doorbell camera. The incident occurred at around 10 PM on Tuesday, October 14, at a residence on South Iris Street in Alexandria, just a few miles from Washington, D.C., Newsweek reported.
The doorbell camera footage shows three persons wearing Halloween masks, one resembling Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise, another dressed as a clown, and third as a sinister-looking nun. They banged the front door and demanded entry. In the footage, one of the masked suspects can be heard shouting, “It is either you come out or we come in.”
Masked trio threaten US family
Inside the home were Shayla Whiteside, her widowed mother, and her younger brother. Initially, Shayla mistook the knocking for a prank. Speaking to WUSA9, she said that after she mistakenly assumed the intrusion as a “Halloween joke”, she wished them a “Happy Halloween”. However, she added, the situation escalated when the trio refused to leave.
Recalling the moment, Shayla told the publication that the three of them kept knocking on the door and the knocks got harder by the moment. The aggression intensified when the family threatened to call the police. The trio even moved to the back of the house, broke through a wooden fence, slashing deck screens, and banging on windows while making threats to kill the occupants.
{{/usCountry}}Recalling the moment, Shayla told the publication that the three of them kept knocking on the door and the knocks got harder by the moment. The aggression intensified when the family threatened to call the police. The trio even moved to the back of the house, broke through a wooden fence, slashing deck screens, and banging on windows while making threats to kill the occupants.
{{/usCountry}}“My heart dropped when they said they were going to take a chair and break down the door,” Shayla said and added, “They tried to enter the home. It is not even a joke gone wrong; they tried to come in.”
Police calls incident a grave matter
As per People magazine, Alexandria Police Chief Tarrik McGuire condemned the incident and confirmed that officers are actively investigating it.
“They began making threatening and alarming comments to the family,” McGuire said and added that the trio even threatened to kill them. He further noted that the suspects could face charges of burglary, and making criminal threats. “Under Virginia state law, that constitutes burglary,” McGuire stated.
The suspects fled the scene in a car and are still absconding. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from nearby homes and businesses to identify them.
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Netizens react
A video of the incident was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user going by the handle Unlimited L’s. The post attracted comments from several users who were shaken by it. Several other users commented, suggesting the homeowner should have used their right enshrined in the Second Amendment.
“Literally The Purge,” one user wrote under the video. Another one commented, “Imagine how fast they'd run if they heard a shotgun chuck on the other side of the door. Lmfao, that would make for great footage.”
A third user stated, “That's one more reason we have the 2nd amendment.”
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FAQs:
Where did the Halloween mask break-in attempt happen?
The attempted break-in took place in Alexandria, Virginia, on South Iris Street, around 10 PM on October 14, 2025.
Who were the victims?
A widow, her daughter Shayla Whiteside, and her younger son were inside the house during the incident.
What did the suspects do?
They banged on doors, made death threats, damaged property, and attempted to break in before fleeing.