A 42-year-old man in Texas has been charged with murder after an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot while playing a doorbell prank in Houston on Saturday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred at around 11pm when the boy and his friends were reportedly playing 'ding dong ditch', a childhood prank involving ringing a doorbell and running away. Houston police said someone inside a home came out and opened fire, striking the boy in the back.
The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died on Sunday. One person was initially detained but later released. On Tuesday, Leon Gonzalo Jr was arrested and charged with murder. His home address matches the scene of the shooting, according to CNN.
Houston police sergeant Michael Cass said the shooting did not appear to be in self-defence, noting it 'wasn't close to the house'. A preliminary court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The case echoes other deadly incidents involving the prank, including a 2023 California murder conviction and a Virginia case earlier this year where a man was charged after shooting a teenager filming a TikTok prank.
