The suspect in the fatal ‘ding dong ditch’ shooting of an 11-year-old boy is a US Army vet. Here’s what we know

Eleven years old Julián Guzman And when their cousin decided to branch on their own, they were hanging out at a family party late on Saturday.

But what begins as innocent entertainment makes a destructive turn.

They went to the streets of the East Houston neighborhoods to play a century -old joke: they escape without time to steal and answer a neighbor’s door bell.

The couple successfully deceived the residents of the neighborhood when they came to a house on a house on Mimbrough Street, successfully deceived a house before they came to a house, the two-storey house rose on the cousins, but the wide porch and the windows away from the front door made it ideal for Ding-Donging.

Julián reached the doorbell ready to run.

After ringing the bell, the young children took off, at least 20 meters away before walking to the edge of the suspect’s property, and two shots played – one of them in Julián’s back, Harris District Regional Lawyer Sean Teee CNN’ye told.

The next day, his death from the hospital injuries, one of the youngest, youngest victims of him, the door bell encouraged by a joke Repopular for the new generation According to social media.

“They do what 11 -year -old men do, they were just a joke in the neighbors, Teare Teare said. “Tragically, he cost him his life.”

Here are what we know.

A cousin dragged the deadly injured body of the child after being shot

Julián’s cousin told the police that he and Julián were bored at a family birthday party and decided to play “Ding Dong Hold” in some neighborhoods.

The complaint knocked on the doors of more than one house before arriving in the house of two boys Gonzalo Leon Jr. According to the court document, Leon was at home with his wife and daughter who started walking.

The children knocked on Leon’s door several times and ran away. According to the court records, the cousin said, “A man from the wooden door saw a black man,” he says.

The man once “entered the ground” and then “lifted the pistol and hit it once again,” he says. Julián “collapsed on the ground, asked for help” and shouted in the pain he was shot.

When the cousin returned to Julián to help Julián, he said that he had to drag the “army” wounded child, because he believes that his legs are paralyzed ”.

The cousin also said that the person who shot Julián to the police said that he was standing next to the sign of standing right in front of the house ”. A detective said, “There is a stop in the corner in front of the house.”

Julián died while being treated for a fiery wound on his back ”.

An army veteran is accused of murder

Army spokesman Christopher Surridge told CNN, 42 -year -old Leon, a suspect, is a military veteran deployed to Afghanistan.

According to Surridge, Leon was a infantry from August 2013 to December 2016, and from December 2016 to May 2021, he served in the National Guards of Texas.

Leon was deployed to Afghanistan from November 2014 to April 2015 and left the army with the rank of expert.

Julián Runs Leon’s house, he didn’t have a gun, and there was no indication that he had stolen anything, Seim Seim said. Nevertheless, the inspectors believe that the suspect has fired his gun twice, once intentionally, measured ”, which once strikes the child.

The piercing explosions from the firearms have replaced with a different cacophony. According to the court documents, the civil servants used a Blaging tool PA system to request the suspect to leave his home.

About 20 minutes later, Leon appeared and was detained by the authorities.

Early the next morning, the civil servants brought him back home, CNN member Ktrk reportedly reported.

Leon was accused of the murder of Julián on Monday. Houston announced the city Tuesday.

Regional lawyer Talhe said the CNN accusations were not made until the authorities were possible. “Once, after arriving at a point on Sunday, we believe we had a good idea of ​​what happened, which was when the accusations were made.”

Bond set as $ 1 million

Leon appeared on the first court on Tuesday and agreed to be a lawyer who was appointed to court.

On Wednesday, he appeared with an orange prison uniform before judge Emily Detoto. Put the bond for $ 1 million. Leon’s bond conditions include house arrest and electronic monitoring.

Prosecutor John Brewer said more accusations to the judge. Considering the young age of the victim, the minister said it was possible to charges capital murder.

During the investigation, Leon’s wife consent to the civil servants to enter the house. Brewer said they found about 20 weapons, including AR -style rifles and pistols.

However, a defense lawyer Gianpaolo Mackerola said that Leon, a disabled Army revenue, used the constitution (right) that he had fought for his country only ”.

Leon’s defense lawyer said it was unclear whether his client was a US citizen. The judge said that the place of birth was listed as “century – – an indication of a country that is not included in the country list of the National Crime Information Center.

‘We turn every rock upside down’

Torae, a suspect in custody, said that the researchers “revived the entire neighborhood” to build a more comprehensive picture of the night of Julián’s family.

The children left the family party from a few streets from the Mimbrough Street house because they stopped wanting to hang out with the rest of the family and wanted to be a child ..

The inspectors are trying to nail how long the children and Leon were visited before Leon have been at home before they come there.

There is nothing the police show the incident “surveillance images wise ,, when CNN asked if there was a door bell camera in the suspect’s house or in the environmental houses that attract.

However, the investigation continued, he said.

Uz We beat every bush, we’re reversing every rock, ”Torae said. “We will consume every investigation effort.”

Witness statements, physical evidence from the scene and the medical examination autopsy helped Leon’s murder accusation to inform and can help narrow defense options during the trial.

How far is Texas self -defense laws going?

Many states have laws that give people the right to use power – even fatal force anywhere they have legal rights such as a house, vehicle or workplace.

It is generally called “Castle Doctrine” or “Stop on the Floor” legislation, These laws in Texas If someone enters an illegal way or tries to enter private buildings, determine that a person is right to defend themselves, family and property.

In Texas, a state, one of the most powerful ‘placement’ laws, ” accordingly If the governor believes that another person believes that the use of deadly power is “immediately veya or may use deadly force to prevent attacks, robbery and some other crimes.

Prosecutors are definitely denied that such legislation is about Leon’s alleged actions on Saturday night.

“The castle doctrine does not apply to a 11 -year -old child running down the street, in any way, in shape or form, C CNN told CNN. “There was no threat to the individual who shot him.”

While the law provides strong guards, cases depend on certain facts from each event, and law enforcement officers or a jury can examine the actions of a suspect to determine whether the use of power is justified.

Centuries -old joke organized by social media

Ding-Dong trenches are generations organized as a naughty and childish joke for a long time. In the rise of short video -guided social media, users are now viral on platforms such as Tiktok, after mobilizing themselves by revealing sad reactions from their landlords.

However, recently re -revival in popularity has died after the doorbells stolen or kicking the front doors.

At the end of July, in a Dallas suburban, a man fired in a fleeing car after hitting his door. According to the police. The man was arrested on charges of aggravated attack.

In 2020, when a man hit his car his car, three -year -olds were killed. Rishing to attract ding-dong-hendek joke on it. The man was convicted Three murders And in 2023, he was sentenced to prison without the possibility of conditional evacuation.

Authorities around the United States warned physical dangers and legal consequences for joke children.

Hamilton County Sheriff Office in Indiana said, “Imagine it is funny to explode and run to the doors?” He wrote. Facebook post in August. “What seems to be a joke can lead to serious legal problems, material damage or worse – someone’s hurt.”

“This is a good way to die, especially in Florida,” he said. Cnn affiliate weh In July, a 13 -year -old daughter and a 15 -year -old boy arrested one night for kicking the door of a resident.

Tiktok did not respond to CNN’s questions about whether the company’s “Dink Dong Ditch” jokes caused physical damages or whether the platform has done any action to restrict such publications.

Ed Lavandera from CNN, Ashley Killough, Amanda Jackson, Karina Tsui and Alisha Ebrahimji contributed to this report.

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