They ran inside a secret church for internet clout. Now they face hate crime charges.
Three men in New York were arrested after a "speedrun" trend at a Scientology building caused $10,000 in damage.
What starts as a joke for online likes can end in a cell. Young people are risking their futures just to show their followers what is behind closed doors.
Three men learned this the hard way in Midtown Manhattan. They are accused of breaking into a Church of Scientology building as part of a viral trend.
Police say the group sprayed silly string and knocked over furniture. Now, two of the men face hate crime charges, and a church worker is hurt.
What the money/evidence shows
- $10,000 in damage done to the building.
- 30 or more people forced their way inside.
- 1 employee kicked and lightly hurt.
- 2 men, ages 19 and 21, charged with burglary, mischief, assault, and hate crimes.
- 1 man, age 28, charged with tampering with evidence.
The bigger question
Why do online trends push young people to cross major legal lines? This trend, called a "Scientology speedrun," treats a real-world building like a video game level.
But these are real places with real people inside. We have to ask why the urge to get views makes people forget basic respect and safety.
The other side
The defense for the men has not yet made a public statement about the charges. However, people who film these stunts often claim they are just curious or making funny videos.
With clear video evidence of the break-in and damage, a simple "it was just a joke" defense will be very hard to make in court.
What happens now
The Church of Scientology is boosting its security in major cities. They want to stop other groups from trying the same stunt.
For regular people, this means more locked doors and guard dogs at places that used to be open. It also means social media apps might start banning videos of these runs.
What we still don't know
- Who were the other 27 people who ran into the building?
- Did the men plan to hurt anyone, or did the situation just get out of hand?
- Will social media sites take down the videos that started this trend?
Transparency notes
Published: May 26, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
Spot an error or missing context? Email hi@kindjoe.com and we will review and correct if needed.
Sources
External source links were not provided in this article body. Our editors reference publicly available materials and update stories as new verified information arrives.