An 11-year-old boy was tragically shot and killed in Houston's Eastside neighborhood on 30/8 while playing "ding dong ditch," the Houston Police Department confirmed on 1/9. The boy was with a group of friends who rang the doorbell of a house and ran away.

Angered by the prank, someone inside the house opened fire on the children as they fled down the street. The 11-year-old boy was struck multiple times in the back and died the following day.

Police at the scene in Eastside, Houston, Texas, on 30/8. Photo: KHOU 11

Police at the scene in Eastside, Houston, Texas, on 30/8. Photo: KHOU 11

The identities of the victim and the homeowner have not been released. Police initially detained a suspect at the house but released him after questioning. The investigation is ongoing.

Several tragic incidents involving the "ding dong ditch" prank have been reported across the US. In late July, a 58-year-old man in North Texas was arrested after firing shots at teenagers who rang his doorbell and ran. In Virginia in May, an 18-year-old was fatally shot while playing the prank at 3 a.m. for a TikTok video. In 2023, a Southern California man was convicted of murder after ramming his car into a vehicle carrying six teenagers who had played "ding dong ditch," killing three of them.

Duc Trung (CBS News, Guardian)