A Houston resident is facing murder charges after allegedly shooting and killing an 11-year-old boy who, along with his cousin, reportedly played a “ding-dong ditch” prank by knocking on the man’s door.

Gonzalo Leon Jr., aged 42, was arrested and accused of murder in the incident that took the life of Julian Guzman on Racine St., as announced by Houston Police on Tuesday.

According to authorities, Julian was shot once on the night of Saturday, August 30, around 10:55 p.m. while he was participating in a mischievous activity that has become a trend on TikTok, involving ringing doorbells and then fleeing the premises.

“Reports indicated that Guzman was engaging in the doorbell-ringing prank and sprinting away,” the police statement revealed. “According to a witness, Guzman was observed escaping from a residence after ringing the doorbell, moments before he was shot.”

The young boys had attended a birthday gathering earlier that evening and, seeking more excitement, opted to carry out the prank, based on details in the probable cause affidavit, accessed by the Associated Press.

Gonzalo Leon Jr. allegedly fired at Julian Guzman as he ran away

Julian’s cousin recounted to investigators that they knocked on Leon’s door multiple times before witnessing him emerge with a firearm. Leon is said to have fired a warning shot into the ground and then discharged additional rounds as the boys were fleeing, according to court documents.

Julian’s cousin said the 11-year-old “cried out in pain” after being shot in the back and falling to the ground. As the cousin tried to drag Julian to safety, Leon allegedly walked back to his home, according to the affidavit.

“There is no way that little boy was posing a threat… and he was running away on a public street,” Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told KHOU of the allegations. “This is not stand your ground, this is not manslaughter. This is murder.”

Julian Guzman was recording prank at time of shooting

According to the district attorney, Julian was recording the prank on his cell phone at the time of the shooting, which will likely serve as critical evidence as the case moves forward. 

“I unfortunately have had to watch countless recordings and surveillance of people in their last moments,” Teare said. “When you talk about an 11-year-old dying, where we hear it, that’s gonna be just some of the most horrific evidence that I can imagine.”

Teare told CNN that the autopsy report indicated that Julian was at least 20 feet away when he was shot. 

“He was doing what 11-year-old boys do. He was playing pranks on the neighbors, and it cost him his life,” Teare said.

Julian was brought to a hospital, where he died.

More than 20 firearms found at home of Gonzalo Leon Jr.

During a search of Leon’s home, authorities recovered more than 20 firearms, including rifles, hand guns and shotguns, according to the AP.

In the wake of Julian’s death, the community has banded together to create a makeshift memorial at the spot where the 11-year-old fell. One of the messages, seemingly left by his mom and cited by KHOU, read: “I love you Julian you will always be in my heart. Rest in peace baby. Mom.”

Police across the country have warned teens about the danger of the popular prank. In 2023, Anurag Chandra was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder after prosecutors said he intentionally rammed a car of six teens off the road in 2020 after they rang the doorbell at his home and ran away, according to the Associated Press. 

Another teen in Virginia was shot and killed in May after filming a “ding-dong ditch” post for social media, the New York Times reported.