Gonzalo Leon Jr.
Share and Follow

(NEXSTAR/AP) – A man in Houston has been charged in the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy after a prank in which the boy rang the doorbell of a home and ran away.

Leon Gonzalo Jr., 42, was charged Monday with murder, according to the Houston Police Department.

Gonzalo Leon Jr.
Leon Gonzalo Jr. (Houston Police Department)

The boy had been ringing doorbells as a prank late Saturday evening, the Houston Police Department said in a statement. The boy, who was shot once, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead Sunday, police said.

Commonly referred to as “ding dong ditching,” the prank involves fleeing before someone inside the home opens the door. A witness said the 11-year-old was running away from the house when he was shot, police said.

Gonzalo was booked into the Harris County Jail. Police spokesperson Shay Awosiyan said that officers were still investigating.

Other “ding dong ditch” pranks have turned deadly in the past. In 2023, a Southern California man was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder for killing three teenage boys by intentionally ramming their car after they rang 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.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Augusta-Richmond County Library Raises Alarms Over Proposed FY26 Budget Cuts

AUGUSTA, Ga. () – On Friday, the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System…

Empowering Youth Voices | Part 3: Student Organizes “Stop the Violence, Start the Future” Rally

() – Youth violence is becoming an increasingly serious issue in Augusta,…

South Carolina Inmate Opts for Firing Squad Execution Amid Controversy Over Previous Bullet-Related Death

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A South Carolina death row inmate, known for taunting…

WUCF Discontinues ‘NewsNight’ Program Amidst Funding Shortfalls from Federal and State Sources

Due to reductions in government funding, WUCF, a public television station, has…

Decatur Accident Involving Two School Buses Shocks Community

In Decatur, Illinois, a collision involving two school buses occurred on Thursday…

FBI Foils Potential Terror Plot in Michigan: Inside the Successful Operation

In a significant development over the Halloween weekend, the FBI has apprehended…

MTV’s Iconic ‘Ridiculousness’ Ends After 14 Years and 46 Seasons: A Look Back at Its Legacy

MTV is bringing the curtain down on “Ridiculousness,” one of its most…

Trump’s Initiatives to Boost U.S. Coal Hampered by Decline in Exports Amid Trade War

President Donald Trump’s initiatives to bolster the U.S. coal industry are facing…