A 42-year-old Texas man, Leon Gonzalo Jr., has been charged with murder after an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot during a door-knocking prank in southeast Houston on Saturday night.
According to Houston police, the child and at least two friends were taking part in a “ding-dong-ditch” prank—also trending as the “door-kicking challenge” on TikTok—where participants ring or kick doors and run away. Gonzalo allegedly opened his door and fired at the children, hitting the boy in the back, News.Az reports, citing ABC News.
The victim, who lived about a block from Gonzalo’s home, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Sunday. Police said Gonzalo was initially questioned and released but later arrested after the child died. Authorities also found a significant number of weapons inside his home.
“This does not appear to be any type of self-defense,” Houston police Sgt. Michael Cass said.
Door-knocking pranks have recently sparked similar incidents across the U.S. In July, a Texas homeowner was arrested for shooting at a fleeing vehicle after a prank, and in June, police in Chandler, Arizona, reported repeated pranks on a single home.
