A Houston man has been charged with murder after police say he fatally shot an 11-year-old boy who was playing the doorbell prank known as “ding dong ditch” with friends over the weekend, as reported by The New York Post.
Authorities identified the suspect as 42-year-old Gonzalo Leon Jr. He is accused of shooting Julian Guzman late Saturday night, moments after the child rang the doorbell of Leon’s home and ran away.
ARRESTED: Booking photo of Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a juvenile male, 11, in the 9700 block of Racine Street on Saturday (Aug. 30).
More info: https://t.co/pu9Dfdvcaf#HouNews pic.twitter.com/XW0bR36vUq
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) September 2, 2025
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According to a statement from Houston police, officers were informed that Guzman and several other children were ringing doorbells in the neighborhood and then fleeing.
“A witness stated Guzman was running from a house after ringing the doorbell just prior to suffering a gunshot wound,” the statement said.
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Police said that after the shooting, Guzman was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Sunday.
Officers initially questioned a person at the scene, but that individual was released. On Tuesday, however, Houston police SWAT officers arrested Leon, who was later booked into the Harris County Jail on a murder charge.
Houston, Texas – Leon Gonzalo Jr charged with murder in shooting death of 11-year-old Julian Guzman while playing Ding-Dong Ditch Prank. The shooting occurred in the 9700 block of Mimbrough near Fidelity Street in east Harris County.https://t.co/VNyUvcWNyc
— News Channel2Now.com (@newschannel2now) September 2, 2025
The case comes amid a series of recent incidents in which the prank has ended in violence.
Earlier this year in Virginia, a homeowner allegedly shot and killed a high school athlete after the teen and his friends knocked on his door.
In a separate case in July of last year, a teenager was shot and wounded in Maine after attempting the prank at another residence.
Police have not released additional details on whether Leon made any statements during or after the shooting. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is expected to pursue the case in the coming weeks.
Authorities are urging parents to warn children about the dangers of pulling pranks on strangers’ homes, given the recent surge in popularity of “ding, dong, ditch” videos on social media.
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