An 11-year-old boy has died after being shot multiple times while playing 'ding, dong, ditch' in Houston, Texas, police said. The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the child and several friends ran from door to door pressing buzzers before fleeing.
Witnesses reported that as the children ran from a house near Mimbrough and Fidelity streets just before 11 p.m., someone chased them with a weapon and opened fire. The boy was struck in the back and taken to hospital in critical condition, where he died on Sunday afternoon.
Police detained a person for questioning but released them without charge. No arrests have been made as of Monday morning. Investigators executed a search warrant at the property and seized several rifles and handguns as evidence.
Sergeant Michael Cass of the Houston Police Department said the suspect would 'more than likely' face a murder charge, adding that the shooting did not appear to be self-defence as it occurred away from the house. Neighbours expressed shock, with one saying, 'What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell?'
The prank, popularised on TikTok, has led to other tragedies. In May, an 18-year-old in Virginia was shot and killed while filming the stunt. In 2020, a California man rammed a car carrying six teenagers after a similar prank, killing three 16-year-olds; he was sentenced to life in prison in 2023.
