The Texas homeowner charged with gunning down an 11-year-old boy over a “ding-dong ditch” prank is now charged with capital murder as new details emerged that he was lying in wait for the victim.
Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder after police said he shot young Julian Guzman moments after he rang the doorbell of his east Houston home late Saturday.
The boy and some friends were playing the prank, which involves knocking on a door or ringing a doorbell and then running away without being seen. The decades-old practical joke has seen a recent resurgence on TikTok.
After being taken into custody by a SWAT team, Leon was booked into Harris County Jail and charged with murder.
Authorities now say Leon was waiting for the children to return after they had knocked on his door several times.
“This was someone brutally murdering an 11-year-old simply because they were mad,” Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told Fox 26 Houston.
“We have a little boy who didn’t even have a chance to get his life going yet, struck down for nothing.”
Records show Julian’s cousin said he saw Leon emerge from a gate by his house before making his way to the street, firing once at the ground before shooting at the fleeing boys.
Julian made it about a block from Leon’s home before collapsing, the outlet reported, his cousin attempting to drag him to safety. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries, police said.
Upon searching Leon’s home, police discovered an arsenal of more than 20 firearms, including rifles, long guns and handguns.
“He just shot him down in the street and went about his business,” Teare said. “What you can never do is discharge your firearm out of anger, ever. When things like that happen, tragedies like this occur.”
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Leon, whose own young son was home at the time of the alleged murder, was briefly detained after the shooting for questioning but released before he was arrested days later. Authorities said he has yet to make a statement to investigators.
Capital murder is the most serious murder charge there is, typically involving factors that make the crime especially heinous or egregious and elevate it above a typical homicide. The upgraded charge could potentially make Leon eligible for the death penalty, which Texas does impose.
Leon is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Wednesday, when prosecutors said they will be requesting a $1 million bond.
