US Man Charged With Murder After Fatally Shooting 11-Year-Old Boy Over Doorbell Prank

Last Updated:September 03, 2025, 19:23 IST

The child, Julian Guzman, was reportedly playing the prank known as “ding dong ditch,” where children ring a doorbell and flee before anyone answers the door

The suspect, identified as Gonzalo Leon Jr., has been charged with murder. (Image via Houston Police Department/X)

A 42-year-old man in Houston, Texas, has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting and killing an 11-year-old boy who rang his doorbell as part of a prank and ran away.

The child, Julian Guzman, was reportedly playing the prank known as “ding dong ditch," where children ring a doorbell and flee before anyone answers the door. The incident took place on Saturday (August 30).

According to the Houston Police Department, Julian was shot once and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors later pronounced him dead on August 31.

The suspect, identified as Gonzalo Leon Jr., has been charged with murder by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and is currently in custody at the Harris County Jail. He was arrested by Houston Police Department’s SWAT and Criminal Apprehension Team on Monday (September 2), following a detailed investigation.

Police said Julian was seen running away from Leon’s home just before the shooting took place. Officers initially detained one person at the scene for questioning but later released them. Further inquiries led to Leon being identified as the primary suspect.

“Detectives conducted a thorough investigation and identified Leon as the suspect in this incident. The Harris County Districts Attorney’s Office was consulted and the suspect was subsequently charged," said HPD officials in their statement, released on Wednesday.

According to a CNN report, Guzman was with his cousin when they carried out the prank. After ringing the doorbell, the two boys ran off and had made it at least 20 feet away when the front door opened and two gunshots were fired, one of which struck Guzman in the back.

The 11-year-old later died in hospital from his injuries, becoming one of the youngest victims of deadly violence linked to the “ding dong ditch" prank.

This is not the first time a doorbell prank has turned deadly in the US. In 2023, a California man was convicted of murder after intentionally ramming his car into a group of teens who had played the same prank on him. In another case earlier this year, a Virginia man was charged with second-degree murder for shooting an 18-year-old filming a TikTok video after ringing his doorbell.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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First Published:

September 03, 2025, 19:22 IST

News world US Man Charged With Murder After Fatally Shooting 11-Year-Old Boy Over Doorbell Prank

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