Massachusetts Students Charged After TikTok-Inspired Attack on Soldier

Five Assumption University students allegedly lured a 22-year-old man to campus under false pretenses and orchestrated a violent mob attack based on a viral social media trend.

The incident occurred on October 1, 2024, when a 22-year-old soldier was lured to Assumption University under the guise of meeting an 18-year-old woman he met on Tinder.
Police allege that the attack was inspired by a TikTok trend mimicking the TV show 'To Catch a Predator,' where individuals attempt to expose alleged sexual predators.
A group of up to 30 students confronted the man, falsely accusing him of seeking sex with a minor, before chasing and assaulting him, with one student reportedly slamming his head in a car door.
Investigators found no evidence the victim was seeking underage individuals, and the Tinder profile of the student who lured him indicated she was 18 years old.
Five students face charges including kidnapping, conspiracy, and assault, while the university condemned the attack as 'abhorrent' and contrary to its values.