Julian Guzman Obituary, Death – Houston man charged in shooting death of 11-year-old during prank. – Houston police say an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed over the weekend after taking part in a prank commonly known as “ding dong ditch,” where a person rings a doorbell and runs away before the homeowner answers. The incident has led to a murder charge against a 42-year-old man now in custody.
Authorities identified the victim as Julian Guzman, who was shot late Saturday, August 30, in the 9700 block of Racine Street around 10:55 p.m. Officers rushed to the scene after receiving reports of gunfire. Guzman, who had been ringing doorbells with friends that night, was struck by a bullet and taken for treatment but succumbed to his injuries the following day, Sunday, August 31.
Police identified the suspected shooter as Gonzalo Leon Jr. Court and jail records show Leon was arrested on Tuesday by members of the Houston Police Department’s SWAT and Criminal Apprehension Team (CAT). He was booked into the Harris County Jail and charged with murder. A judge has denied bond for Leon until his next court hearing, which was scheduled for Wednesday morning. Court documents did not indicate whether he had retained an attorney to represent him.
Initially, police detained another person at the scene for questioning, though that individual was later released as investigators determined they were not directly involved in the shooting. The focus of the investigation then turned to Leon, who, according to police, fired the fatal shots after Guzman rang his doorbell as part of the prank.
The tragedy has devastated Guzman’s family, who have since set up a GoFundMe page to raise donations for funeral expenses and other needs. Community members have also expressed shock at how a child’s prank turned into a deadly encounter.
Law enforcement officials note that while “ding dong ditching” is a prank that has long been popular among young people, in some cases it has escalated to violence. Nationally, there have been other fatal incidents tied to similar pranks. In 2023, a Southern California man was convicted of first-degree murder after deliberately ramming into a vehicle carrying teenagers who had rung his doorbell. The crash killed three boys. More recently, in May 2024, a Virginia man faced second-degree murder charges after shooting an 18-year-old who had rung his doorbell while filming the act for TikTok, according to The New York Times.
The Houston case adds to growing concerns about the risks associated with such pranks, particularly in neighborhoods where tensions or fear may cause homeowners to react with violence. Police continue to investigate the precise sequence of events that led Leon to fire the fatal shot, but the charge of murder suggests prosecutors believe his actions went far beyond any reasonable claim of self-defense.
As the case proceeds through the legal system, Julian Guzman’s death stands as yet another example of how quickly ordinary mischief can spiral into tragedy. His family, neighbors, and the wider Houston community are left mourning the loss of a young boy whose life ended far too soon.
