Boy, 11, shot dead in Texas after ‘ding dong ditch’ doorbell prank

An 11-year-old boy was fatally shot in Houston, Texas after a prank in which he rang the doorbell of a home and ran away, police said.

The boy had been ringing doorbells as a prank late on Saturday evening, the Houston Police Department said in a statement.

Commonly referred to as “ding dong ditching”, the prank involves fleeing before someone inside the home opens the door.

The boy, who has not yet been identified, died of his wounds on Sunday, police said.

Police spokesman Shay Awosiyan said officers were still investigating and had not arrested anyone in connection with the boy’s death.

Other “ding dong ditch” pranks have turned deadly in the past.