‘This Wasn’t Reckless’: Texas Man’s Fatal Shot at 11-Year-Old Over ‘Ding-Dong Ditch’ Ended With Chilling Move a Witness Saw Firsthand, Police Say
An Army veteran accused of murdering an 11-year-old boy who played "ding-dong ditch" at his front door made a chilling decision after as the boy was pleading for help and crying out in pain. Gonzalo Leon, 42, was charged with the murder of 11-year-old Julian Guzman in east Houston. 42-year-old Army veteran Gonzalo Leon is charged with killing an 11-year-old over doorbell prank. (Credit: Click2Houston Video Screengrab) His bond was recently set at $1 million at the request of prosecutors. "When you have a case as tragic as this one and quite frankly as brutal, and you have an 11-year-old shot in the back and murdered, I think it's an appropriate bond," said District Attorney Sean Teare outside the courtroom. The shooting happened at 11 p.m. on Aug. 30. Court documents cited by local news outlets say that Guzman, his cousin, and some other friends were at a relative's house attending a birthday party that night, got bored, and decided to play a game of "ding dong ditch" around the neighborhood. ‘Should Have Known Better’: 74-Year-Old Man Said He Had the Right to Shoot Virginia Man Who Knocked On His Door By Mistake, A Judge Showed Him No Mercy At Sentencing Guzman's cousin said he saw Guzman knock on Leon's door "several times," then run away. After knocking on his door one final time, he saw a man in all black exit the home's nearby gate armed with a pistol. The man who exited the gate fired his pistol once into the ground, then once more at the Guzman, investigators say. His cousin said the second shot hit the 11-year-old, and he fell to the ground, where he cried out in pain and called for help. The family member said he “army dragged” the 11-year-old away from the home because he thought he was paralyzed. A neighbor also rushed in to lend a hand. The cousin said that as he helped Guzman, Leon just slowly walked back into his home. Guzman was rushed to a local hospital, where he died. An autopsy determined he died from a gunshot wound to the back. Leon was detained and questioned by police on the day of the shooting, but was subsequently released. After the case was elevated to a homicide, he was arrested days later at a hotel outside of Houston, where he went with his wife and their young child. “We believe that this is an intentional and knowing act; this wasn’t reckless behavior,” Teare said. “This was a direct shot to the back of an 11-year-old who was running away, hence the murder charge.” Police searched Leon's home and recovered more than 20 firearms, including AR-style rifles, shotguns, and pistols. A U.S. Army spokesperson said Leon served in the army as an Infantryman from August 2013 to December 2016, and in the Texas National Guard from December 2016 to May 2021. He was deployed to Afghanistan once from November 2014 to April 2015 and left the Army in the rank of specialist. Prosecutors said that Leon was once charged with making terroristic threats in Harris County, but defense attorneys say that case was dismissed due to "mistaken identity." Leon's lawyers say their client has no prior criminal history.
