An 11-year-old boy has been fatally shot in Houston after the viral ‘ding dong ditch’ prank went terribly wrong.
The game involves ringing a doorbell to a random individual's house and running away before somebody answers the door.
The unidentified 11-year-old was playing the game over the weekend (August 30) in Houston at around 10:55pm local time near Mimbrough and Fidelity streets, the Independent reports.
A witness told KHOU 11 that someone chased the child down the street with a weapon before firing rounds at the 11-year-old.
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Houston Police Department say the boy was pronounced dead on Sunday (August 31) by doctors as their investigation continues.
They said in a new release: "Houston police are investigating the fatal shooting of a juvenile male in the 9700 block of Racine Street about 10:55 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 30).
"The identity of the deceased male, 11, is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences."
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Meanwhile, HPD Homicide Division Sergeant M. Cass and Detective J. Brown reported: "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).
"Officers were told the male was ringing doorbells of homes in the area and running away. A witness stated the male was running from a house, after ringing the doorbell, just prior to suffering a gunshot wound."
Police say that they had detained one individual at the scene for questioning, though they said the person was soon after released. "Detectives are gathering more information as the investigation continues," the press release added.
Investigators say they have collected several rifles and handguns as evidence at a property, while they are also reviewing CCTV footage and working with Harris County District Attorney’s Office in an attempt to find answers and bring justice to the young boy and his family.
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Eye-witnesses in the community were left in disbelief that a seemingly innocent prank could end in tragedy.
"What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell? That’s the part that really kind of hurts the heart," one witness told KHOU 11.
"For someone to shoot him in the back, they knew they were a kid. What’s the purpose of it?"
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Sergeant Michael Cass, a homicide detective at the Houston Police Department who is working on the case told KHOU 11 that a murder charge is 'more than likely'.
Callum Jones