Man Charged with Murder After 11-Year-Old Fatally Shot During “Ding Dong Ditch” Prank in Houston

HOUSTON - Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was playing a “ding dong ditch” prank in Houston’s Eastside neighborhood on Saturday night.

According to the Houston Police Department, Guzman and a group of friends were ringing doorbells and running away shortly before 11 p.m. when a witness saw someone emerge from a nearby home and fire several shots at the children. Guzman was struck in the back and collapsed about a block away. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Sunday afternoon.

Police said a SWAT team took Leon into custody at his residence on Tuesday after obtaining a warrant. Leon remains jailed in Harris County, and his first court appearance has been scheduled for later this week. Authorities seized multiple firearms during a search of his home.

Sgt. Michael Cass of the HPD Homicide Division stated that preliminary evidence does not support a self-defense claim, as the shooting occurred well away from the house and the children posed no apparent threat. Investigators are reviewing witness accounts and video from nearby surveillance cameras as the case develops.

“Ding dong ditch,” a prank in which participants ring a doorbell or knock loudly and flee before the door is answered, has resurfaced as a viral challenge on social media. Several incidents nationwide have turned deadly in recent years, prompting legal scrutiny and community concern.

The tragedy has renewed calls for parental supervision and public awareness regarding the dangers associated with such pranks. Local leaders have urged residents to use nonlethal means of addressing nuisance behavior and emphasized the importance of conflict de-escalation.