HOUSTON – A suspect has been detained after an 11-year-old boy was shot in the back and killed Saturday night while playing a prank known as “ding-dong ditch” in Houston’s Eastside.
The shooting happened at a home in the 9700 block of Mimbrough.
Authorities say several weapons were recovered from the middle-aged suspect’s home, and the investigation is ongoing.
What we know
The prank, sometimes called “doorbell ditch,” is a game where someone rings a doorbell or knocks and runs away before anyone answers.
Investigators said the children were playing “ding-dong ditch” at a home in Houston’s Eastside when someone came outside and shot the boy.
The child was struck multiple times and was taken to a hospital.
Neighbors we spoke with said they were shocked to hear the young boy had been shot.
Nearby resident Theresa Jones called the shooting “really sad” and said guns shouldn’t be around kids, noting, “a bullet doesn’t have a name.”
Officers were seen taking a man in handcuffs out of a police unit and walking him back to the home where the shooting happened. Police have not released the shooter’s name or said whether any charges have been filed, a police spokesperson said. The investigation is ongoing.
“At this time, prayers are going out to the family of the child. That’s been shot,” said an officer with HPD’s major assault division early this morning.