A Houston man has been charged after allegedly fatally shooting an 11-year-old boy who rang the man’s doorbell while playing “ding dong ditch,” the game of ringing a stranger's doorbell or knocking on their door and then running away.
According to an affidavit by a Houston police officer that was viewed by Complex and a press release put out by the city, just before 11 p.m. on Saturday (August 30), the boy, Julian Guzman, and his friends pulled the prank on at a house on Mimbrough Street.
One of the other kids told the police that while he was running away, he heard a gunshot. He then turned around and, per the affidavit, "saw a person, who he described as wearing all black, extend his arm and shoot one more time" towards Guzman. Guzman then collapsed to the ground.
Once authorities showed up, the witness directed police to the house and identified Leon standing outside. The cops detained Leon and searched his home. During searches of the residence, police said they found "approximately 20 firearms, including AR type rifles, shotguns, and medium caliber pistols."
After the shooting, Guzman was taken to the hospital. He was pronounced dead on Sunday. Per the medical examiner, the cause of death was a gunshot wound.
Leon was charged with murder on Monday (September 1) and booked in jail the following day.
According to Houston police homicide Sgt. Michael Cass, the incident wasn’t self-defense because it didn’t occur “close to the house.”
The state is okay with Leon being out on bond while the case plays out, but they have requested that he not possess any firearms or ammunition, that he be prohibited from drinking or using drugs, and that he remain in his house between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. every day. A judge has not yet decided on whether Leon will get out on bond, or under what conditions.
“Ding dong ditch” has become popular on TikTok. Earlier this year, in May, an 18-year-old in Virginia was fatally shot while capturing a “ding dong ditch” clip for the video-sharing platform. The man who allegedly opened fire was charged with second-degree murder.