Teens shot while filming a TikTok 'ding-dong-ditch' prank

[ImminentDanger]

Virginia homeowner charged with murder after shooting teens filming a TikTok 'ding-dong-ditch' prank
By Stephen Sorace - Fox News - Published May 9, 2025
https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-...n-sheriff-says

A Virginia man was charged with murder after authorities say he shot a high school teen who he believed was trying to break into his house, though the surviving teens claim they were filming a ding-dong-ditch prank for TikTok.

Tyler Chase Butler, 27, was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Bosworth Jr., the Spotsylvania Sheriff*s Office said. Butler also faces charges of malicious wounding and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Legal experts told Fox News Digital that the case will rest on whether Butler used the right amount of force and if he reasonably believed his life was in imminent danger.

"The individual facts are really going to shed light on are the charges against Mr. Butler valid or unjust," Jessica Ledingham, a federal litigator and criminal defense attorney said, adding that the charges would make sense if the teens were outside his home, where they are less likely to be perceived as a threat.

Deputies responded at around 3 a.m. Saturday to a call for a residential burglary in progress, where a resident had fired shots and found Bosworth and another teen with gunshot wounds, the sheriff*s office said. A third teen was found unharmed.

Bosworth died of his injuries in the hospital while the other injured teen was treated for minor injuries and released. Both surviving teens are juveniles and were not named publicly.

The surviving teens told investigators they were recording themselves doing a "ding-dong-ditch" as part of a TikTok challenge, FOX5 DC reported, citing court documents.

One of Butler*s neighbors shared home surveillance footage with the outlet that shows the three teens going up to Butler*s home and not only ringing the doorbell but banging, kicking and slamming on a garage door.

Jamie E. Wright, a Los Angeles trial attorney and founder of the Wright Law Firm, told Fox News Digital that "stand your ground" or "castle doctrine" laws vary in each state, though "most don*t give blanket permission to use lethal force simply to protect property."

"Based on what*s been reported, shooting at teenagers involved in a prank, even one as reckless as a late-night ding-dong-ditch, is unlikely to meet that legal standard," Wright said. "Social media challenges like this can certainly escalate tensions and lead to tragic misunderstandings, but they don*t typically create a legal justification for deadly self-defense."

Madeline Summerville, a national trial attorney and legal analyst, told Fox News Digital that "castle doctrine" laws allow for the use of deadly force to prevent an aggressor from entering your home * if the homeowner truly believes their life is in danger.

"Every case is different, however, and the applicability of the castle doctrine in this case will rest upon whether the Defendant truly believed he was in imminent danger of bodily harm or death," Summerville said.

Bosworth was a multi-sport athlete at Massaponax High School. His classmates held a vigil for him on Tuesday night.

Butler was being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on no bond.

1) Simple Prank or Assault Crime - Why is that so hard to distinguish?

2) Should teens be responsible for actions or are they unaccountable due to their age?

3) How threatened must one be to be 'in imminent danger' and justified to respond with deadly force?

...

[Emptymag]

Multi-sport athletes are far more important than gun-owning homeowners.
He will fry regardless.

[MikeinPhilly]

This is more then ding dong ditch if you have upwards of 3 people kicking and banging on you door in the middle of the night. But unless they kicked open the door you can't just fire all willy nilly at the door w/o knowing the target.

The article does say it was the garage door so the guy could have panicked and felt trapped. Thee dumb kids FAFO

[JaySmith]

You can't shoot someone through the door, legally. Physically, yes it's possible.

But dumb kids doing dumb shit. Ding dong ditch is ringing the doorbell and running, not repeatedly beating on the door.

[JaySmith]

LOL i love NBC's spin.

A Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner in Missouri after he mistakenly rang the wrong doorbell has secured a spot in the all-state band months after the shooting.

*Bravo to Eliza Cockrell and Stephen Kwon from Northtown, and Ralph Yarl and Carter Walters from Staley! They*ve earned a spot in the 2024 Missouri All State Orchestra or Band and will perform at the Missouri Music Educators Association annual conference in January at Margaritaville Lake Resort in Lake of the Ozarks,* the statement read.

[Carson]

"Based on what's been reported, shooting at teenagers involved in a prank, even one as reckless as a late-night ding-dong-ditch, is unlikely to meet that legal standard," Wright said. "Social media challenges like this can certainly escalate tensions and lead to tragic misunderstandings, but they don't typically create a legal justification for deadly self-defense."

Uh, when did they let Butler know that this was only a Social Media Challenge at 3 AM ?

What would a responsible homeowner think when they heard this going on at 3AM ?

[Ronin]

LOL i love NBC's spin.

A Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white homeowner in Missouri after he mistakenly rang the wrong doorbell has secured a spot in the all-state band months after the shooting.

*Bravo to Eliza Cockrell and Stephen Kwon from Northtown, and Ralph Yarl and Carter Walters from Staley! They*ve earned a spot in the 2024 Missouri All State Orchestra or Band and will perform at the Missouri Music Educators Association annual conference in January at Margaritaville Lake Resort in Lake of the Ozarks,* the statement read.

What does this story from Missouri have to do with the OP that took place in Virginia?

[Emptymag]

Yep. The media is playing prosecutor and setting up the public jury to believe that he was murdered for simply playing a children's game.

[Ronin]

"Based on what's been reported, shooting at teenagers involved in a prank, even one as reckless as a late-night ding-dong-ditch, is unlikely to meet that legal standard," Wright said. "Social media challenges like this can certainly escalate tensions and lead to tragic misunderstandings, but they don't typically create a legal justification for deadly self-defense."

Uh, when did they let Butler know that this was only a Social Media Challenge at 3 AM ?

What would a responsible homeowner think when they heard this going on at 3AM ?

Are you saying he was justified in shooting at people banging on his door and making noise on his property in the middle of the night? According to one of the teens involved, they were shot while running away. Doesn't sound like they were a threat.

[P89]

This is why you keep a full auto paintball gun at the ready.
Hurts just enough to let them know that was dumb and marks them for easy identification to charge them with trespassing.