An 11-year-old has died after he was shot whereas enjoying a doorbell ditch prank in Houston, police stated, the most recent tragic instance of a TikTok pattern that authorities have been warning dad and mom about in a case that might yield a homicide cost.
The boy and his associates had been enjoying a sport of “ding dong ditch” at a home down the road from their dwelling simply earlier than 11 p.m. Saturday when an individual inside the home got here out and shot the boy, Houston police stated.
A witness stated the boy was operating from the home on Racine Road after ringing the doorbell when he was shot, police stated.
The boy was taken to a hospital and pronounced lifeless on Sunday, in keeping with police.
Authorities used a bullhorn outdoors the house Saturday night time to induce the individual inside to come back out with their fingers up, CNN affiliate KTRK reported. Police detained one individual for questioning.
Officers introduced an individual again to the house in handcuffs shortly earlier than 6 a.m. Sunday, in keeping with KTRK. Authorities stated the individual was detained once more Sunday night time however was not formally charged, KTRK reported.
Houston Police are nonetheless actively investigating, the division instructed CNN Monday.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance video and dealing with the Harris County District Legal professional’s Workplace on attainable costs, KHOU reported.
“It’ll greater than probably be a homicide cost,” Sgt. Michael Cass, a murder detective with the Houston Police Division, instructed KHOU, noting the boy’s dying doesn’t seem to contain self-defense as a result of the taking pictures “wasn’t near the home.”
“Ding dong ditching” is an age-old prank that’s risen in recognition in recent times as a social media problem. TikTok movies typically function variations the place pranksters pound on or kick individuals’s entrance doorways.
In a Dallas suburb on the finish of July, a person fired pictures right into a fleeing automobile after somebody banged on his door, in keeping with police. The person was arrested on costs of aggravated assault.
In Could, an 18-year-old highschool senior in Virginia was shot and killed whereas filming a “ding dong ditch” to put up on TikTok, The New York Instances reported. The person accused of taking pictures the teenager was charged with second-degree homicide.
In 2020, three 16-year-olds had been killed when a person rammed his automobile into their automobile in retaliation for pulling a “ding dong ditch” prank on him. The person was convicted of three counts of homicide and sentenced to life in jail with out the opportunity of parole in 2023.
Authorities throughout the nation have raised considerations concerning the door knock problem, warning of each the potential hazard and authorized penalties for these concerned.
“Assume it’s humorous to bang on doorways and run? Assume once more,” the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Workplace in Indiana wrote in a Fb put up in August. “What would possibly appear to be a prank can result in critical authorized bother, property injury, or worse – somebody getting harm.”
“That’s a great way to finish up lifeless, particularly in Florida,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Workplace instructed CNN affiliate WESH in July after arresting a 13-year-old lady and a 15-year-old boy for kicking a resident’s door one night time.
The teenagers had been captured on a doorbell digital camera creeping as much as a household’s dwelling and kicking the door earlier than operating away, WESH reported. Authorities took two hours to seek out them.
“You’re endangering your future with this TikTok problem,” Chitwood stated. “You’re going to be charged with a felony.” The 2 teenagers had been charged with housebreaking, in keeping with WESH.
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