Charges have been brought forth regarding the tragic shooting of an 11-year-old boy, who lost his life following a prank where he rang someone’s doorbell and ran away.
Gonzalo Leon, Jr., aged 42, was arrested on Tuesday morning and taken to the Harris County Jail. Court documents indicate he faces a murder charge.
He is expected in court Tuesday morning.
According to the Houston Police Department, the boy, named Julian Guzman, had been participating in a prank known as “ding dong ditching” around 10:55 p.m. on Saturday. This prank involves ringing doorbells and fleeing before the homeowner can answer.
Guzman was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead Sunday, police said.
This type of prank has led to fatal outcomes before. In 2023, a man from Southern California was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder after he intentionally rammed the car of three teenage boys who had performed the prank at his door.
Additionally, in May, a man in Virginia faced second-degree murder charges for shooting an 18-year-old, who had rung his doorbell while recording a TikTok video of the prank, as reported by the New York Times.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
