A 42-year-old Texas man is dealing with a homicide cost in the shooting of an 11-year-old boy after the sufferer and his associates banged on the suspect’s door late Saturday night time in what police described as a “ding-dong-ditch” prank that has been trending on TikTok and different social media platforms, authorities mentioned.
The suspect, Leon Gonzalo Jr., was arrested and booked on the Harris County Jail on Tuesday morning, charged with one rely of homicide, in response to Harris County courtroom data.
The taking pictures unfolded round 10:55 p.m. on Saturday at a house in southeast Houston, in response to the Houston Police Division.
The kid, who police initially mentioned was 10 years previous, was pronounced lifeless at a hospital on Sunday afternoon, in response to an announcement launched by police. The boy’s title was being withheld by police pending an post-mortem.
“Officers had been advised the male was ringing doorbells of properties within the space and working away. A witness acknowledged the male was working from a home, after ringing the doorbell, simply previous to struggling a gunshot wound,” Houston murder detectives mentioned.
Reserving photograph of Leon Gonzalo Jr.
Houston Police Division
It remained unclear if Gonzalo is the proprietor of the house the place the door-kicking prank occurred, or whether or not he simply lived there.
The prank allegedly dedicated in Houston is much like what’s being dubbed the “door-kicking problem,” a nationwide pattern primarily based on an previous prank known as “ding dong ditch,” during which teams of youngsters document movies of themselves kicking and banging on doorways of properties and flats earlier than working away after which posting the movies on social media platforms akin to TikTok.
Gonzalo is believed to be the identical particular person detained by police within the rapid aftermath of Saturday’s taking pictures. He was launched after being questioned however was detained once more after the kid was pronounced lifeless at a hospital round 2 p.m. native time on Sunday, Houston police Sgt. Michael Cass mentioned at a information convention over the weekend.
Cass mentioned a search warrant was served on the house, and a big variety of weapons had been discovered inside the home.
Cass mentioned the boy who was shot within the again lived a few block from the house.
Murder detectives seek for proof, Sept. 1, 2025, outdoors a Houston residence the place an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot after taking part in a door-knocking prank on a neighbor.
KTRK
The sufferer and no less than two of his associates had been going round their neighborhood banging on or kicking doorways and working away, Cass mentioned. Cass mentioned the preliminary info signifies that the victims and his associates ran down the road after banging on the suspect’s door.
“Our witness says the suspect got here out of the door, ran out into the road and was firing down the street,” Cass mentioned.
He mentioned the sufferer was capable of run a few block earlier than collapsing on the street.
“In my view, it does not seem like any kind of self-defense,” Cass mentioned.
The deadly taking pictures follows a string of incidents throughout the nation related to the door-kicking problem on social media.
In July, a 58-year-old Texas house owner was arrested and charged with aggravated assault when he allegedly fired a number of rounds at a car fleeing his residence in Frisco after somebody banged on the entrance door, in response to an announcement from the Frisco Police Division.
The driving force of the automotive that was shot at round 10:50 p.m. on July 28 and two passengers contacted police to file a criticism, displaying officers three bullet holes within the car, in response to police.
“Nevertheless, throughout subsequent interviews, all admitted to ding, dong, ditching in a random neighborhood once they had been confronted by a male with a firearm,” Frisco police mentioned in an announcement.
In June, police in Chandler, Arizona, launched video footage of a bunch of juveniles committing the “door-kicking problem,” alleging the group pulled the prank on the identical residence no less than 18 instances, prompting the house owner to maneuver out.
This can be a creating story. Please test again for updates.
