Bucks County police warn about dangers of ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ game

🚨 An 11-year-old boy was shot in Houston while playing the game

🚨He and a cousin were playing 'ding dong ditch' at the time

🚨Video captured the incident, according to the DA's office

NORTHAMPTON, Pa. — A TikTok challenge based on a childhood game has the potential to get players in trouble or worse, according to one Bucks County police department.

The rules of the "Ding Dong Ditch, Knock and Run" game are simple. Knock on someone’s home door and run, trying not to get caught or seen. But a knock on the door in the middle of the night might not get the intended reaction and can escalate quickly, Northampton police wrote on the department's Facebook page.

"Increasingly in today’s society and in recent news, knocking or ringing a doorbell in the middle of the night could end up being more dangerous and with tragic consequences," the department wrote in its post.

The game is what may have led to the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy in Houston on Sept. 2. Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, is being held on $1 million bond and is charged with murder.

The boy, Julian Guzman, and a cousin had been attending a birthday party the night of Aug. 31 when they “became bored and wanted to ring doorbells, or play ‘ding dong ditch,’” according to a probable cause affidavit. The prank commonly called “ding dong ditching” involves ringing a doorbell or knocking on a door and fleeing before someone inside opens the door.

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Front door mischief, damage

Guzman’s cousin told investigators he and Guzman knocked several times on Leon’s door and ran away. In an initial statement, police had said Guzman rang a doorbell, but the affidavit said the boy knocked.

The final time he and the cousin knocked, Leon came out holding a pistol that he fired once into the ground. Leon then raised the pistol and fired at Guzman and his cousin, according to the affidavit.

During a hearing on Sept 3 the prosecutors said the entire incident was captured on video found in the boy's cell phone, according to KHOU TV.

Northampton police urged parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of the game.

"We have taken reports and have come across homeowners whose front door have been damaged from more than a simple 'knock' which turns the game into criminal mischief," the department wrote in its post.

Washington Township police in Bergen County, NJ  warned in 2024 about the game after several residents reported knocks on the door. One of the residents reported property damage, according to the release.

These instances are occurring late at night. It is frightening to our residents. This is creating a public alarm and is NOT a joke. There is zero tolerance. These “pranks” may result in Criminal Charges.

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