The increasing number of cases in which youths lure gay men into ambushes using dating apps such as Grindr has led Illinois police to label it a "social media trend." A recent case in the state involving 11 teenagers serves as the latest example. The teens reportedly assaulted both a 23-year-old and a 41-year-old man after contacting them through a dating app.

Police are advising parents to discuss social media trends with their children. " We are asking parents to take these incidents as an opportunity to talk with their teenage children about the seriousness of actively participating in these types of trends they see on social media," said Police Chief Michael Eterno.

Over the past year, incidents of youths using violence against gay men they lured online have frequently made the news. Often, the perpetrators would also record videos and share them on platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. For instance, cases like this combined with robbery occurred in Almere, Netherlands, and Nice, France. Early last year, a group of teenagers aged 14 to 16 in New Zealand faced trial for filming themselves attacking gay men.