After millions of views and online speculation, the family behind the Plainfield property reveals what really caused the eerie signal
NEED TO KNOW
- TikTok videos of a boarded-up Illinois home with flashing lights led viewers to fear someone inside was signaling for help
- Police investigated multiple times and said they found no signs of danger
- The property owners later shared videos explaining the source of the lights that started a viral mystery
What began as a late-night drive past a dark, boarded-up house in Plainfield, Ill., quickly turned into a full-blown internet mystery — complete with Morse code theories, police visits and millions of TikTok views.
The now-viral home first caught attention after TikTok users @extraordinaryjoseph and @jake.l..owens posted videos showing porch lights blinking in a pattern many viewers believed resembled an SOS distress signal.
Joseph’s clips drew roughly 1.4 million and 3 million views respectively, while Owens’ videos climbed to about 2.4 million and 5.4 million views, fueling speculation that someone inside the seemingly abandoned property might be trying to communicate…