Texas Man Charged With Murder of Boy, 11, Who Played ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ Prank
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NEED TO KNOW
- Julian Guzman, 11, was fatally shot while playing “ding-dong-ditch” in Houston, Texas, police said
- Gonzalo Leon was charged with murder in connection with the incident
- A witness told police that the child was running away from a house when he suffered a gunshot wound
A Texas man has been charged with murder of an 11-year-old boy who was fatally shot after a “ding-dong-ditch” prank.
Gonzalo Leon is charged with murdering 11-year-old Julian Guzman and was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 2, according to the Houston Police Department.
Guzman was fatally shot on Sunday, Aug. 31, police said. According to the department, Guzman had been ringing doorbells in the area and running away.
At around 10:55 p.m., Guzman suffered a gunshot wound while running away, police said, citing a witness.
Leon was subsequently identified as a suspect and arrested two days after the shooting.
KHOU spoke to police Sgt. Michael Cass, who said the evidence seemingly does not support a potential self-defense claim.
“In my opinion, it does not look like any type of self-defense,” he told the outlet. “It wasn’t close to the house, so it’ll more than likely be a murder charge.”
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The outlet also spoke to neighbors who were stunned by the incident.
“What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell? That’s the part that really kind of hurts the heart,” one told KHOU. “For someone to shoot him in the back, they knew they were a kid. What’s the purpose of it?”
It is not immediately clear if Leon has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
