HOUSTON (KIAH) – An 11-year-old boy was fatally shot in Houston after a prank in which he rang the doorbell of a home and ran away, police reported on Sunday.
Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, faced murder charges according to Harris County jail records. He was taken into custody early Tuesday and placed in the Harris County Jail. During his hearing on Wednesday morning, a judge set his bond at $1 million.
In the hearing, a child witness gave a detailed account of the shooting, noting that Leon Jr. emerged from his house and positioned himself near a stop sign while continuing to fire.
According to the defendant’s attorney, Leon Jr. is a disabled Army veteran and has been married for five years with one child.
The attorney said the defendant exercised his constitutional rights by having weapons in his home.
The incident happened at the 9700 block of Racine Street about 10:55 p.m. on Saturday.
The boy, identified by police Tuesday as Julian Guzman, 11, died of his wounds Sunday, August 31, police said.
The Houston Police Department stated that Guzman had engaged in doorbell ringing as a prank on late Saturday evening. Known as “ding dong ditching,” the trick involves ringing the bell and leaving before the residents respond.
Officers detained one person at the scene for questioning. That individual was questioned and released as the investigation continued.
On Tuesday, officers from HPD’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Detail and the Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT) apprehended Leon, after which he was processed into the Harris County Jail.
Meanwhile, Guzman’s family has created a GoFundMe page for donations.
Similar “ding dong ditch” pranks have resulted in tragedy previously. In 2023, a man in Southern California was convicted of first-degree murder for intentionally crashing into a vehicle, resulting in the deaths of three teenagers who had rung his doorbell as a prank.
And in May, a Virginia man was charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting an 18-year-old who had rung his doorbell while a filming a TikTok video of the prank, the New York Times reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
