A Texas man opened fire late Saturday night on a group of kids playing “ding dong ditch” pranks in east Houston, fatally shooting an 11-year-old boy.
Houston Police say the children had been ringing doorbells and running away that evening, KHOU reported. When they knocked at one home, a man came out and started shooting as the children ran away, striking the victim in the back.
“A witness says someone ran out of that house and was shooting at the kids running down the street, and unfortunately, sadly enough, one of the boys who was 11 years old was shot in the back,” said HPD Homicide Detective Sgt. Michael Cass.
KPRC reported that the boy was hit multiple times. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died on Sunday, KTRK said.
The station said someone was detained Saturday night after the shooting, and police were seen using a bullhorn to call the man out. He was later released, however, and detained again Sunday night.
The man, who has not been identified, was being questioned by detectives but had not been arrested, KHOU said. Cass said that so far, the circumstances do not support a self-defense claim.
“In my opinion, it does not look like any type of self-defense. It wasn’t close to the house, so it’ll more than likely be a murder charge,” Cass said.
Cass also said that police executed a search warrant on the house and seized an arsenal of weapons, including several rifles and handguns.
At least one neighbor blamed the 11-year-old victim.
“You just don’t go knocking on people’s doors,” the neighbor said.
Another neighbor cited the nature of the prank.
“What harm could they have done? Playing with a doorbell? That’s the part that really kind of hurts the heart,” the neighbor said. “For someone to shoot him in the back, they knew they were a kid. What’s the purpose of it?”
Cass said detectives are working with the district attorney’s office on possible charges and reviewing surveillance footage.
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