Five college students have been charged with criminal offenses after allegedly luring a U.S. soldier to Assumption University’s Massachusetts campus, ambushing him in an apparent attempt to recreate a TikTok trend.
Nearly 30 students reportedly chased the soldier from a campus building after he was invited there by a freshman he met on Tinder, according to a criminal complaint filed by campus police in Worcester District Court on December 4. The incident occurred on October 1, just days before the soldier’s scheduled overseas deployment.
Police identified 18-year-old Kelsy Brainard as the student who invited the soldier to campus. According to court documents, Brainard met the soldier on the dating app Tinder, where she had accurately listed her age. Investigators found no indication that the soldier believed she was underage.
The criminal complaint states that Brainard led the soldier to a basement lounge on campus where they watched TV together. Soon after, nearly 30 students confronted him, preventing him from leaving. Video evidence allegedly shows one underage student assaulting the soldier during the encounter. Police reports indicate that Brainard was seen laughing during the incident.
The situation escalated as the soldier attempted to escape. A mob of students chased him to his car, where one of them, identified as 18-year-old Kevin Carroll, allegedly assaulted him with a car door. Carroll is now facing charges of assault and battery.
Brainard faces multiple charges, including kidnapping, conspiracy, and intimidation for allegedly misleading police during their investigation. Additionally, four other students—Kevin Carroll, Isabella Trudeau (18), Joaquin Smith (18), and Easton Randall (19)—have been charged with kidnapping and conspiracy.
Isabella Trudeau is a nursing student who graduated and played varsity lacrosse at a nearby private Catholic high school, Notre Dame Academy in 2024.
Joaquin Smith, also a freshman, is from West Haven, Connecticut. He is listed as a current member of the Assumption University Track and Field team.
Investigators allege that the attack was inspired by a TikTok trend based on the TV series To Catch a Predator, which features sting operations targeting individuals attempting to meet minors for sex. However, there is no evidence that the soldier had any inappropriate intentions or that he believed Brainard was a minor.
The soldier’s father told a local news outlet that his son was deployed overseas just days after the attack. The incident has raised serious concerns about the misuse of social media trends and the impact of such actions on individuals and institutions.
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