A Texas man has been charged in the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy who played a doorbell prank on the man’s home. The child is the latest to be harmed or killed for allegedly pulling a prank.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office charged Leon Gonzalo Jr., 42, with first-degree felony murder for allegedly shooting and killing 11-year-old Julian Guzman, according to the city of Houston’s press release on Tuesday. Gonzalo, of Houston, is being held by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
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It was not immediately known whether a judge had set a bond for Gonzalo.
‘Ding-dong ditch’
Guzman died at a Houston-area hospital on Sunday from a gunshot wound to his back. Police alleged that Gonzalo shot the child after he rang his doorbell multiple times and ran away.
Houston Police Sgt. Michael Cass told KHOU, a local television station, that it didn’t appear the gunman acted in self-defense as the shooting happened away from Gonzalo’s home.
The doorbell prank is commonly known as a “ding-dong ditch,” and police across the nation have warned kids against playing it.
In May, the Signal Mountain, Tennessee, police department wrote on Facebook that, while the prank may seem harmless, it has elicited aggressive reactions from homeowners.
“Homeowners may react with fear, anger, or even aggression if they don’t recognize the person ringing their doorbell,” the department wrote, “especially if it’s late at night or if the person is masked or wearing dark clothing. In some cases, homeowners have reacted violently, even using weapons, in response to ding dong ditching incidents.”
The department continued, saying that the pranks could be considered harassment or trespassing.
Other deaths from pranks
At least four other people have died after the ding-dong ditch prank led to violent interactions.
In May, a 27-year-old Virginia man was charged with second-degree murder and other crimes relating to the fatal shooting of Michael Bosworth Jr., 18, who rang his doorbell.
In 2023, a California jury convicted a man of murder when he struck and killed three teens after they played the doorbell prank on his home.
