Virginia teenagers said they were filming a ding-dong ditch prank for a TikTok video when a homeowner opened fire, killing an 18-year-old boy.
The homeowner, Tyler Chase Butler, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the death of Michael Bosworth, Jr. It’s not clear if Butler has obtained an attorney.
The shooting happened around 3 a.m. Saturday, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Deputies were dispatched to a home near McKenzie Lane in the Washington, D.C., suburb following a call for a residential burglary in progress, where a resident had fired shots.
Bosworth and another person had sustained gunshot wounds, the sheriff’s office said. Bosworth was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. The other person, a juvenile, was treated and released. A third juvenile with them during the incident was unharmed, authorities said.
Butler, 27, told investigators that he believed the teens were trying to break into his home, NBC Washington reported.
According to a search warrant affidavit, obtained by NBC News, one of the teens told detectives that they were recording ding-dong ditch pranks for a TikTok video, where they ring people’s doorbells and then run away. The teen said they had been to a couple of homes in the neighborhood and that he was not familiar with the area.
“The juvenile stated that they had run to hide. The juvenile said as they were running from a residence, he and his friends were shot at,” the affidavit states.
The other teen gave a similar account and told detectives that he had a video on his phone of them doing the prank earlier that day, according to the affidavit.
Bosworth was a senior at Massaponax High School. He was killed hours before the school prom.
“School counselors will be on site at the event to provide support as needed, the district said in a letter to the school community. “Also, when students return to school on Monday, our counseling staff and additional division support team members will be available to provide support to our students and staff as needed. If your child needs support, please contact the school so that we can provide assistance. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”
Butler is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on no bond.
