After Viral Video, Teens Charged With Sneaking Into Astrodome

Three teenagers are accused of breaking into Houston's Astrodome days after a viral TikTok video exposed the abandoned stadium's darkened and dusty interior. "Sneaking into closed old historic buildings is dangerous," Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen says, per the Houston Chronicle. "You are taking a risk for yourself and first responders, and it is against the law." Footage from inside the Astrodome was shared by two social media accounts, including @lurkinghouston, on Saturday and Sunday, per Houston Public Media. Police initially said Monday that there'd been no reports of trespassing. But shortly after midnight, security guards spotted a trio of intruders and contacted authorities, who arrested three 18-year-old males, police said.

KTRK names them as Jack McGowan, Conner Carson, and Michael Gorman of the Katy area. It's not clear if they're connected to the online footage. Though Rosen said officers found the individuals "inside taking some pictures," McGowan's mother says the teens never actually got inside the building. She says they only "wanted to see if they could've gotten in" and ended up hiding from security for hours before running across a parking lot, where they were spotted by authorities. The Astrodome, which once housed the MLB's Astros and NFL's Oilers, has been closed to the public since 2009. The group overseeing the complex warned, "Unauthorized entry is strictly prohibited and will result in prosecution to the fullest extent of the law." (More Houston stories.)