"It's just a prank bro" is a phrase usually only uttered by neer-do-wells, meanies, and numbskulls. If you have to say it's a prank (in a defensive tone), then you have failed in your job as a prankster. The best pranks are lighthearted and make the person laugh in the end. One of the best examples of this is the old fake present prank. You wrap a small gift in a huge box, with layers and layers of tape and paper that they have to get through. It plays with expectations, it's funny to watch someone be momentarily frustrated, and then they get a gift in the end. Everyone wins.
That prank philosophy was not in mind in these out-of-pocket pranks. No, these went too far. A prank is no longer a prank if someone won't talk to you after it's over. But they are pretty fun to read about after the fact…