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Inset: Tyler Chase Butler (Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Street where Butler allegedly shot at teens playing a doorbell prank at his Fredericksburg, Virginia, home (WRC/YouTube).
Teens engaging in a doorbell prank for TikTok clicks encountered gunfire from the homeowner, resulting in one teenager’s death and another’s injury, Virginia authorities report.
The homeowner, 27-year-old Tyler Chase Butler, is now charged with second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
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According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a call around 3 a.m. Saturday about a home burglary in progress where the resident fired shots. When they arrived, cops found two teens suffering from gunshot wounds. One, later identified as 18-year-old Michael Bosworth, Jr., was rushed to the hospital where he died.
The other teen suffered minor injuries and also was taken to the hospital. A warrant request filed in Spotsylvania Circuit Court and obtained by Law&Crime says detectives spoke with the teen who said he was out with Bosworth and another buddy pulling a well-known prank in which people ring a home’s doorbell before running away.
“The juvenile advised it’s something that people are doing to put on TikTok,” a detective wrote.
Per the warrant, the teens were not familiar with the neighborhood and had done the prank on a couple of other doors before they came to the fateful address on McKenzie Lane in Fredericksburg, some 60 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The teen told cops they were running from the home when they were shot at, the warrant said.
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Detectives also spoke with the uninjured teen who gave the same account and voluntarily provided them with his cellphone that showed videos of them hitting other homes.
In the warrant, detectives are asking a judge to search the phone for “any videos, photographs or text communication reference to processing, making or having ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ videos.”
Cops on Tuesday arrested Butler. He’s at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
Bosworth’s family is devastated. His stepdad told local NBC affiliate WRC that the teen was a senior at Massaponax High School who was set to go to prom later that night. He played football and lacrosse at the school, and was going to graduate this month.
ABC affiliate WIJA obtained a letter principal William Lancaster III sent to parents.
As a parent/guardian, it is always difficult to know how to answer questions about grief and loss. Children respond to death differently, and their reactions will depend on the relationship they had with the person who died, their age, and prior experiences with loss. This evening, we plan to hold prom as scheduled. School counselors will be on-site at the event to provide support as needed. Additionally, when students return to school on Monday, our counseling staff and additional division support team members will be available to assist students and staff. If your child needs support, please contact the school so we can help. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.
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