A Texas man was jailed on murder charges on Tuesday, days after he allegedly shot and killed an 11-year-old boy playing a “ding dong ditch” prank.
Houston police said Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, shot Julian Guzman in the back as he ran from a home on Saturday. Guzman and a few friends rang Leon’s doorbell and ran off before Leon exited his home and fired, mortally wounding the boy, according to the Houston Chronicle.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Guzman — who was struck multiple times — died the following day.
The Houston Chronicle reported that Leon was initially released from custody after questioning. Houston police Sgt. Michael Cass said they detained Leon again following the boy’s death.
Police said they found a “significant amount of weapons” inside the suspect’s home.
Guzman lived a block from the home where Saturday’s shooting transpired. Cass said Guzman ran about a block before collapsing in the street.
Residents created a makeshift memorial for the boy, adorned with crosses, candles, flowers, and messages of support, around half a block from the suspect’s home.
“In my opinion, it doesn’t look like any type of self-defense,” Cass said, according to ABC News.
Leon remains jailed without bond pending a bail hearing, scheduled for Wednesday.
Meanwhile, previous fatal pranks cases are recirculating amid the latest incident. In 2023, a California man who killed three teens was convicted of first-degree murder after the victims died after ringing the man’s doorbell during a prank.
The man, according to WMAR, rammed his vehicle into all three victims.
Earlier this year, a Virginia man was convicted of second-degree murder after shooting a teen during a similar prank. The victim had reportedly rung the man’s doorbell during a prank for a TikTok video.
This story is developing.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Houston police, GoFundMe]
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Jacquelyn Gray
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.crimeonline.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
