Suspect ‘Waiting in Shadows’ Before Ding-Dong Ditch Shooting
(Houston Police Department via AP)
A Texas man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy following a neighborhood prank that turned deadly. Authorities say the incident occurred Saturday night in east Houston, where Julian Guzman was attending a family gathering.
According to police, Julian and his 10-year-old cousin became bored and began playing “ding-dong ditch,” a common prank involving knocking on doors and running away. The boys reportedly knocked on the door of 42-year-old Gonzalo Leon Jr. three times within a 15-minute span. On the final attempt, Leon was allegedly lying in wait in his side yard behind a fence.
Police say Leon first fired a pistol shot into the ground before turning the weapon on the boys. Guzman, who was recording the prank on video, can reportedly be heard gasping after shots are fired. His cousin told investigators that Julian cried out that he had been shot and tried to drag himself away. The 11-year-old later died from a gunshot wound to the back.
Although Texas law includes a “castle doctrine” that allows homeowners to use force to protect their property, a Houston police sergeant stated that this incident does not appear to qualify as self-defense. “In my opinion, it doesn’t look like any type of self-defense. It wasn’t close to the house,” the officer said, also emphasizing that the children posed no apparent threat and were clearly minors.
Leon, an Army veteran, was later found and arrested at a hotel with his car packed. Investigators say they discovered 20 additional firearms along with tactical and smoke grenades in his home.
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