11 year old Houston boy shot dead in ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ prank gone wrong after homeowner shoots at intruders banging on door
An 11-year-old Houston, Texas boy who was shot and critically injured in a door knock prank ‘gone wrong’ Saturday night has passed away from his injuries.
The boy was hospitalised after a homeowner came out only to find ‘intruders’ kicking and banging on his door as the boy and his friend attempted a door-knocking prank, police said.
While running away from one house, the homeowner allegedly opened fire at the group, hitting the young victim several times.
Houston man charged with murder after ding dong prank leads to 11 year old boy shot dead
Social media dare
The shooting unfolded around 10:55 p.m. on Saturday at a home in the 9700 block of Racine Street in southeast Houston, Shay Awosiyan, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department, told ABC News.
‘A 10-year-old was apparently knocking on neighbors’ doors and running away when someone apparently fired shots,’ Awosiyan said.
Awosiyan said one person was detained at the scene of the shooting and was being questioned. Police to date have have not filed charges in the case.
The injured child, who was out committing the prank with friends, was treated at the scene by the Houston Fire Department and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was in critical condition on Sunday afternoon, Awosiyan said.
Not immediately clear is how the ten year old boy and presumably his similar age ‘friends’ came to be out at 11 p.m, at night.
In an August 31 update, the Houston Police Department stated the boy dying from his gunshot injuries. The homeowner was initially detained for questioning before being released.
Previous episodes of door prank gone wrong
The prank 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.
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 after someone banging on the front door in Frisco, Texas, according to a statement from the Frisco Police Department at the time.
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.
‘Let’s be clear: These ‘pranks’ can have serious consequences and lead to charges such as criminal damage, disorderly conduct, or harassment,’ the Chandler Police Department said in a message to parents in the community. ‘Parents — please take a moment to talk with your children. Know where they are, who they’re with, and what they’re doing.’
