Ding dong ditch is a childhood prank that’s been around for decades, but it gained popularity again in recent years thanks to a viral TikTok challenge.
HOUSTON — A Houston man was arrested and charged with murder on Tuesday in the weekend shooting of an 11-year-old boy who’d been playing ding dong ditch pranks in the neighborhood.
Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, shot Julian Guzman in the back as the victim was running away from his home on August 30, according to the Houston Police Department.
HPD Sgt. Michael Cass told CBS News that Julian and his cousin left a family birthday party that night because they were bored and started knocking on doors and running away. Cass said they knocked on Leon’s door three times in a span of about 15 minutes. The third time, the suspect was “waiting in the shadows” with a gun, according to Cass.
He said the boy’s own cell phone captured the shooting and his gasping pleas for help before he was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
Below are other instances of the doorbell prank escalating.
Frisco man charged after ding dong ditch shooting
Ding dong ditch is a childhood prank that’s been around for decades, but it gained popularity again in recent years thanks to a viral TikTok challenge. The social media trend is also sometimes called the “kick door challenge.”
In North Texas last month, a man was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after allegedly shooting at three teens who kicked his door.
Damon Wolfe, 58, told police he thought someone was trying to kick his door in late at night.
The teens later admitted they were ding dong ditching in the area before their vehicle was shot at, according to Frisco police. No one was injured.
“Parents, please talk to your kids about the dangers of participating in these types of TikTok challenges,” said Frisco Police Chief David Shilson. “The teens involved in this case are very fortunate they were not shot and killed or seriously injured. For homeowners, it is important to understand that there are legal and criminal consequences for running outside and shooting at a vehicle fleeing the scene. The bullets fired in this offense could have easily struck neighbors’ houses and had deadly consequences. This entire incident is completely senseless and avoidable had better decisions been made by all involved.”
If convicted, Wolfe could get up to 20 years in prison.
Maine man charged after ding dong ditch shooting
In July, a man in Harrison, Maine, was jailed after he allegedly fired several shots at teens who knocked on his door and ran away. One of the teens was injured but survived.
Vincent Martin, 30, was charged with elevated aggravated assault and aggravated reckless conduct, according to News Center Maine, our sister station.
The teen who was shot was issued a no trespass warning.
Virginia man charged with killing high school student
A man in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was arrested in May after police said he shot and killed a high school athlete during a TikTok challenge.
Tyler Butler, 27, was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Bosworth.
Another teen was also shot, but he survived.
He told detectives that they were in the neighborhood to play the TikTok prank known as the “Ding Dong Ditch” challenge.
Neighbor Maria Sedlak told our sister station WUSA9 that it’s a tricky case.
“I just feel like it was very unfortunate all the way around,” Sedlak said. “I feel sorry for his parents, but I also feel sorry for my neighbors. If someone came and tried kicking on my door, we’d have been protecting our house too.”
Louisville boy shot while ding dong ditching
In March, a boy in Kentucky was shot and wounded after kicking the door of an apartment in east Louisville.
The child told officers he was “hanging out and ‘ding dong ditching’ doors” at the complex that morning.
“The door was kicked hard enough that it cracked and damaged the doorjamb, warranting repairs,” a police citation said.
The boy was later charged with criminal mischief.
The resident who shot him wasn’t charged, and the shooting was ruled as self-defense.
Southern California man convicted of murder in ding dong ditch shooting
A California man was found guilty of murder in 2023 after he intentionally rammed a car, causing it to crash and killing three 16-year-olds inside it.
Anurag Chandra told investigators he was “extremely, extremely mad” after the victims rang his doorbell and one exposed his buttocks before running away.
Three other teens survived the crash southeast of Los Angeles and testified at Chandra’s murder trial.
He was sentenced to life without parole, CBS News reported.