On the night of Aug. 30, a 42-year-old Texas man shot and killed 11-year-old Julian Guzman, after he and his cousin knocked on the door to his home. Julian and his cousin were playing “ding-dong-ditch”, a game involving knocking on a random door and quickly fleeing. The homeowner, Gonzalo Leon Jr., shot Julian as he and his cousin ran down the street.
Julian’s cousin, who has remained anonymous, told investigators that he and Julian were attending a birthday party when they both became bored and decided to play “ding-dong-ditch”. The boys walked up to Leon’s blue house and knocked on the door multiple times before running away. As they fled, Julian’s cousin described seeing Leon emerge from the house wearing all black. Leon shot once into the ground as he and Julian ran, then raised his arm and shot again.
Julian collapsed and his cousin dragged him away as Leon slowly walked back into his house. Julian was rushed to the hospital and died of a gunshot wound to his back that Sunday afternoon.
Julian’s mother wrote in a GoFundMe for her son. Her message, originally Spanish, translated to “They stole my child, my baby, at a very young age. We had a whole life ahead of us. He didn’t deserve it.”
Leon is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan from 2014-2015. U.S. Army spokesman Tony McCormick reported to ABC News that he achieved the rank of specialist and was an infantry man from 2013-2016. Leon served in the Texas National Guard until 2021. More than 20 firearms, including shotguns and handguns, were seized from his house, KHOU reported.
Leon was home with his wife and 2-year-old daughter at the time of the incident. He was detained twice over the weekend but arrested on Monday at a La Quinta hotel 20 miles away from his house in La Porte. Leon is charged with murder and is being held on a $1 million bond in Harris County. He will be arraigned Oct. 21, according to court records.
This is not the first time a “ding-dong-ditch” style prank resulted in death. This past May, a Virginia man was arrested for second-degree murder after a teenager filmed himself committing the viral prank. In 2023, a California man was charged with life imprisonment after pursuing a carful of teenagers who rang his doorbell, ramming them off the road at 99 mph, leaving three teens dead.
HPD Homicide Detective Sergeant Michael Cass warned parents when speaking with KHOU news, “I guess for parents out there, just be more cautious in the times we’re living in now.” The Sergeant also added that he doesn’t believe the circumstances support the self-defense claim. “In my opinion, it does not look like any type of self-defense. It wasn’t done close to the house, so it’ll more than likely be a murder charge.”
In his online obituary, Julian is remembered as someone who brought light and happiness to the people who loved him. “He will always be remembered for his bright smile, his playful spirit and the joy he brought to every room he entered.” He loved playing soccer, videogames and cooking. Julian is survived by his mother, father and two brothers.
