Man charged with murder in door-knock prank shooting of 11-year-old boy

A 42-year-old Texas man is facing a murder charge in the shooting of an 11-year-old boy after the victim and his friends banged on the suspect's door late Saturday night in what police described as a "ding-dong-ditch" prank that has been trending on TikTok and other social media platforms, authorities said.

The suspect, Leon Gonzalo Jr., was arrested and booked at the Harris County Jail on Tuesday morning, charged with one count of murder, according to Harris County court records.

The shooting unfolded around 10:55 p.m. on Saturday at a home in southeast Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.

The child, who police initially said was 10 years old, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Sunday afternoon, according to a statement released by police. The victim was identified by police on Tuesday as 11-year-old Julian Guzman.

"Officers were told the male was ringing doorbells of homes in the area and running away. A witness stated the male was running from a house, after ringing the doorbell, just prior to suffering a gunshot wound," Houston homicide detectives said.

It remained unclear if Gonzalo is the owner of the home where the door-kicking prank occurred, or whether he just lived there.

The prank allegedly committed in Houston is similar to what's being dubbed the "door-kicking challenge," a national trend based on an old prank called "ding dong ditch," in which groups of kids record videos of themselves kicking and banging on doors of homes and apartments before running away and then posting the videos on social media platforms such as TikTok.

Gonzalo is believed to be the same person detained by police in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's shooting. He was released after being questioned but was detained again after the child was pronounced dead at a hospital around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, Houston police Sgt. Michael Cass said at a news conference over the weekend.

Cass said a search warrant was served on the home, and a significant number of weapons were found inside the house.

Cass said the boy who was shot in the back lived about a block from the home.

The victim and at least two of his friends had been going around their neighborhood banging on or kicking doors and running away, Cass said. Cass said the preliminary information indicates that the victims and his friends ran down the street after banging on the suspect's door.

"Our witness says the suspect came out of the door, ran out into the street and was firing down the road," Cass said.

He said the victim was able to run about a block before collapsing in the street.

"In my opinion, it doesn't look like any type of self-defense," Cass said.

The fatal shooting follows a string of incidents across the country associated with the door-kicking challenge on social media.

In July, a 58-year-old Texas homeowner was arrested and charged with aggravated assault when he allegedly fired multiple rounds at a vehicle fleeing his home in Frisco after someone banged on the front door, according to a statement from the Frisco Police Department.

The driver of the car that was shot at around 10:50 p.m. on July 28 and two passengers contacted police to file a complaint, showing officers three bullet holes in the vehicle, according to police.

"However, during subsequent interviews, all admitted to ding, dong, ditching in a random neighborhood when they were confronted by a male with a firearm," Frisco police said in a statement.

In June, police in Chandler, Arizona, released video footage of a group of juveniles committing the "door-kicking challenge,'' alleging the group pulled the prank on the same home at least 18 times, prompting the homeowner to move out.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.