11-year-old boy shot, killed during ‘ding dong ditch’ prank, man charged with murder

A 42-year-old man has been charged with murder for the shooting of an 11-year-old boy who police say was killed while playing “ding dong ditch” in Houston on Saturday.

Gonzalo Leon Jr. was booked into jail on Tuesday morning and charged with one count of murder, according to police.

Police said the victim, identified as Julian Guzman, and his friends were playing a game of “ding dong ditch,” in which they have someone ring people’s doorbells and then run away before they can answer the door.

“Officers were told Guzman was ringing doorbells of homes in the area and running away. A witness stated Guzman was running from a house, after ringing the doorbell, just prior to suffering a gunshot wound,” Houston Police Department homicide division Sgt. Michael Cass reported.

Cass told CNN affiliate KHOU that a witness said someone ran out of the house and “was shooting at the kids running down the street.”

“Unfortunately, sadly enough, one of the boys, who was 11 years old, was shot in the back,” Cass said. “In my opinion, it does not look like any type of self-defence. It wasn’t close to the house, so it’ll more than likely be a murder charge.”

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Guzman was taken to hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead on Sunday, according to police.

Authorities used a bullhorn to urge the suspect to come out of the house with their hands up shortly after the shooting took place on Saturday after 11 p.m. local time.

Leon is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

2:09 Door-knock pranksters damage Surrey homes

A similar situation took place in May when a Virginia homeowner was arrested on a murder charge after police say he shot and killed an 18-year-old high school senior when a TikTok prank went wrong.

Michael Bosworth Jr., 18, was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. Police later identified the suspect as Tyler Butler, 27, in an updated release.

He was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in Bosworth’s death. He is currently in jail without bond and his next court date is Sept. 17.