Houston man charged with murder in shooting of 11-year-old boy after doorbell prank

HOUSTON — Police have charged a Houston man with murder in the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy who rang the doorbell of a home and ran away as a prank, police said Tuesday.

The 42-year-old man, identified by authorities as Gonzalo Leon Jr., was taken into custody and booked into the Harris County Jail in Houston early Tuesday. On local property records, Leon matches the name of the owner of the home where police say the boy rang the doorbell.

Court records did not list an attorney for Leon to comment on the allegations.

According to police, the boy, Julian Guzman, had been ringing doorbells as a prank late Saturday. Commonly referred to as “ding dong ditching,” the prank involves fleeing before someone inside the home opens the door.

“Our witness says the suspect came out of the door, ran out into the street and was firing down the road,” Houston police Sgt. Michael Cass told reporters on Sunday.

The boy, who was shot in the back, died of his wounds Sunday, police said.

“In my opinion, it doesn’t look like any type of self-defense. It wasn’t close to the house,” Cass said.

About a half block away from the suspect’s home and where Guzman collapsed after being shot, a makeshift memorial had been set up with a cross, prayer candles, flowers and a photo of the boy.

Various messages were written on the cross, including, “I miss you Julian. I still wish you were here but I will always love you 4ever” and “I love you Julian. You will always be in my heart. Rest In Peace Baby Mom.”

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

In May, a Virginia man was charged with second-degree murder for shooting an 18-year-old who rang his doorbell while a filming a TikTok video, the New York Times reported.