FROM CNN: An 11-year-old boy has died after being shot while playing a doorbell ditch prank in Houston on Saturday night, police said.
The boy and several other kids were ringing doorbells and running from multiple homes in an east Houston neighborhood, according to CNN affiliate KHOU. As the boy ran from a house on Racine Street just before 11 p.m., someone chased after him and shot him in the back, according to KHOU.
The boy was transported to hospital and was pronounced dead on Sunday, according to police.
One person was detained at the scene for questioning and has since been released, police said. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video and working with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office on possible charges, KHOU reported.
“It’ll more than likely be a murder charge,” said HPD homicide detective Sgt. Michael Cass.
Cass said the boy’s shooting does not appear to be self-defense as it didn’t occur “close to the house.”
“Ding dong ditching” is a silly prank in which people ring someone’s doorbell, then quickly run away. Often it’s done with a friend or a group, and the pranksters watch as the confused homeowner comes to the door.
The game has apparently become popular again as a social media challenge. In TikTok videos, the pranksters change it up by pounding on or kicingk people’s front doors.
11-year-old boy dies after being shot while playing ding-dong-ditch, Houston police say https://t.co/0VdwDl0d5X
— KSDK News (@ksdknews) September 1, 2025
Boy fatally shot after 'ding dong ditch' doorbell-ringing prank | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/UuwWPbf34a
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) September 1, 2025
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