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.
Just before 11 p.m. near Mimbrough and Fidelity streets, someone chased the group and opened fire, striking the victim in the back, according to a witness. The boy was taken to hospital in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds and died on Sunday afternoon.
Police detained a person for questioning but released them. No arrests had been made by Monday morning. Investigators seized several rifles and handguns from the property while executing a search warrant. Sergeant Michael Cass said the suspect would likely face a murder charge, noting the shooting did not appear to be self-defence as it 'wasn't close to the house.'
Neighbours expressed shock that a harmless prank ended in tragedy. 'What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell?' one resident said. 'For someone to shoot him in the back, they knew they were a kid.'
The prank has gained popularity on TikTok, with previous fatal incidents including an 18-year-old in Virginia shot in May and three 16-year-olds killed in California in 2020 after a driver rammed their car.
