Houston man charged with murder in shooting of 11-year-old boy after door knocking prank

HOUSTON (AP) — Police have charged a Houston man with murder in the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy who knocked on the door of a home and ran away as a prank, police said Tuesday.

The 42-year-old man, identified by authorities as Gonzalo Leon Jr., was taken into custody and booked into the Harris County Jail in Houston early Tuesday. On local property records, Leon matches the name of the owner of the home where police say the boy knocked on the door.

Court records did not list an attorney for Leon to comment on the allegations.

The boy, Julian Guzman, and a cousin had been attending a birthday party Saturday night when they “became bored and wanted to ring doorbells, or play ‘ding dong ditch,’” according to a probable cause affidavit. The prank commonly called “ding dong ditching” involves ringing a doorbell or knocking on a door and fleeing before someone inside opens the door.

Police departments around the country have issued public service announcements in recent months warning people that such actions aren’t funny but dangerous. Homeowners have no way of knowing it’s “just a prank,” according to a June Facebook post by the Georgetown, Kentucky Police Department.

Guzman’s cousin told investigators he and Guzman knocked several times on Leon’s door and ran away. In an initial statement, police had said Guzman rang a doorbell, but the affidavit said the boy knocked.

The final time he and the cousin knocked, Leon came out holding a pistol that he fired once into the ground. Leon then raised the pistol and fired at Guzman and his cousin, according to the affidavit.

“Our witness says the suspect came out of the door, ran out into the street and was firing down the road,” Houston police Sgt. Michael Cass told reporters on Sunday.

Guzman’s cousin told police that Guzman “cried out in pain that he had been shot,” according to the affidavit. As Guzman's cousin was trying to drag the boy away, Leon slowly walked back to his house.

Guzman was shot in the back and died Sunday, police said.

“In my opinion, it doesn’t look like any type of self-defense. It wasn’t close to the house,” Cass said.

Police found about 20 firearms in Leon's home, including AR-style rifles, shotguns and medium caliber pistols.

Texas and other states have some version of a “castle doctrine,” either by law or court precedent, that says residents don’t have to retreat when threatened in their homes but instead can respond with physical force. While Texas law gives people broad latitude to protect themselves, protect others or protect their property, there has to be a reasonable belief that force is immediately necessary in the situation.

Seth Kretzer, an attorney in Houston not connected to the case, said if the shooting happened as police allege then Leon would not have a strong case for self-defense under state law.

“You just can’t shoot a kid in the street dead because he knocks on your doorbell and declare you felt threatened by him. I mean it's a little hard to believe a grown male with a gun felt threatened by an unarmed 11-year-old child running away on the street," Kretzer said.

About a half block away from the suspect's home and where Guzman collapsed after being shot, a makeshift memorial had been set up with a cross, prayer candles, flowers and a photo of the boy.

Various messages were written on the cross, including, “I miss you Julian. I still wish you were here but I will always love you 4ever” and “I love you Julian. You will always be in my heart. Rest In Peace Baby Mom.”

Other “ding dong ditch” pranks have turned deadly in the past. In 2023, a Southern California man was convicted of first-degree murder for killing three teenage boys by intentionally ramming their car after they rang his doorbell as a prank.

In May, a Virginia man was charged with second-degree murder for shooting an 18-year-old who rang his doorbell while a filming a TikTok video, the New York Times reported.

Associated Press photographer David J. Phillip contributed to this report.

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This image provided by the Houston Police Department shows Gonzalo Leon Jr. (Houston Police Department via AP)

A makeshift memorial for 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, is shown Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A makeshift memorial for 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, is shown Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A home is shown Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston, near the location where 11-year-old Julian Guzman was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, according to police. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Neighbor George Skinner, right, talks a police investigator outside a home Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston, near the location where 11-year-old Julian Guzman was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, according to police. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A makeshift memorial for 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was shot and killed during a doorbell prank, is shown Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)