KHOU 11’s Marcelino Benito has a chronology of events in the case.
HOUSTON — Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, is now in the Harris County jail, held on a $1 million bond. He’s accused in the shooting death of 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was playing a game of ding dong ditch in an east Houston neighborhood.
Let’s walk through how we got here.
The shooting happened just before 11 p.m. Saturday on Racine Street near Mimbrough. Police say Julian and his cousin knocked on Leon’s door three times within 15 minutes.
Detectives say that on the third knock, Leon was waiting in the shadows on the side of his house. He allegedly fired a warning shot into the ground before shooting Julian as he ran away down the sidewalk.
Leon was brought in for questioning but was released after he refused to answer questions and asked for an attorney.
Julian died in the hospital on Sunday. A search warrant was then conducted on Leon’s home. According to court records, investigators seized about 20 rifles, shotguns, and handguns.
By Monday, the district attorney’s office filed murder charges. Leon was arrested in La Porte and made his first court appearance on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, during his bond hearing, prosecutors revealed Leon is a military veteran who served in Afghanistan and was honorably discharged.
His next court date is now set for October 21. Prosecutors say they’re still reviewing evidence, including cell phone video recorded on Julian’s phone before the case goes to a grand jury.
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