11-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead In Houston While Playing "Ding Dong Ditch" Prank

An 11-year-old boy was shot dead in Houston, Texas, while playing a "ding dong ditch" prank with friends last week near Mimbrough and Fidelity streets, police said. The boy, whose identity hasn't been revealed, was rushed to a hospital. He was pronounced dead the next day, on Sunday (August 31).

The "ding dong ditch" prank is quite popular among children. They knock on the door or ring the doorbell of a house or apartment, and then run away before the door is opened. In recent years, the prank has gained popularity because of social media.

A witness told the police that a male was running from a house after ringing the doorbell on Saturday, just prior to suffering a gunshot wound.

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"HPD patrol officers responded to a shooting call at the above address and learned a male was shot and had been transported to an area hospital. Doctors pronounced him deceased today (Aug. 31)," Houston police said in the statement.

Officers detained one person at the scene for questioning. However, that individual was released after interrogation. Police said that the detectives are gathering more information as the investigation continues.

A CNN report mentioned that the authorities are scanning surveillance video to gather more details. KHOU reported that they are working with the Harris County District Attorney's Office on possible charges.

"It'll more than likely be a murder charge," Sergeant Michael Cass, a homicide detective with the Houston Police Department, told KHOU that the boy's death does not appear to involve self-defence because the shooting "wasn't close to the house".

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A neighbour, named George Skinner, told CNN affiliate KPRC that the incident happened near his home. The 70-year-old told the media outlet that he had lived in that neighbourhood all his life, but never saw anything like that.

"Me and couple of my neighbors, we just were real sad that something like that actually happened to a child, you know?" he said.

"Ten years old, you got a long ways to go."

This incident highlights the potential dangers of the "ding dong ditch" prank, which has led to other violent incidents in the US, including a Virginia homeowner shooting a high school athlete and a Maine homeowner shooting a teenager.