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The Suspect in the Fatal ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ Shooting of an 11-Year-Old Boy Is a US Army Vet. Here’s What We Know

Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, was charged with murder after shooting Julian Guzman, 11, who died from a prank involving doorbell ringing, with police rejecting self-defense claims.

  • Houston man Gonzalo Leon Jr. was formally charged on Monday with murder after fatally shooting 11-year-old Julián Guzman who rang his doorbell in a prank late Saturday night.
  • The shooting occurred when Julián and his cousin knocked on Leon's door and ran away as part of a doorbell prank, a common childhood act that investigators believe was not connected to any social media challenge.
  • Leon fired two shots, first at the ground then intentionally striking Julián in the back as he ran, causing Julián to collapse about a block away and die the next day at the hospital.
  • District Attorney Sean Teare described the act as a violent killing of an 11-year-old driven by anger and made clear that the castle doctrine is not applicable in this case.
  • Leon was arrested early Tuesday, with prosecutors planning to request a $1 million bond and potentially pursue capital murder charges due to the victim’s young age and supporting evidence such as witness accounts and the autopsy report.
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Eleven-year-old Julian Guzman pulled a prank on a homeowner. This led to the eleven-year-old being shot dead. Now the man who shot Julian has been charged with murder, writes CBS News.

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Telemundo Houston broke the news in on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
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