High school senior shot and killed in ding-dong ditch TikTok prank, VA cops say
National High school senior shot and killed in ding-dong ditch TikTok prank, VA cops say
Deputies said they are investigating a shooting that killed an 18-year-old during a TikTok prank.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
A high school senior was shot and killed during a TikTok prank mistaken for a burglary, Virginia officials said.
Deputies responded to a report of a possible burglary at about 3 a.m. May 3 in Fredericksburg, about a 60-mile drive north from Richmond, the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office said in a May 3 news release.
A resident fired shots at the suspected burglars, injuring two of three teens involved, deputies said.
Both injured teens were taken to a hospital, where one of them, identified as Michael Bosworth, Jr., died, according to the sheriff's office. The second teen was released after being treated for minor injuries. Another teen involved was not injured, deputies said.
According to a search warrant, the teens were making a TikTok video of a 'ding-dong ditch' prank when the shooting happened, the Fredericksburg Free Press and WRC-TV reported.
The age-old prank where a person rings a doorbell and runs away has become popular on the social media app, which includes several viral videos showing people participating in the trend.
In a May 3 email to parents at Massaponax High School, where Bosworth attended, Principal William Lancaster shared the news of his death.
The school's prom was scheduled for that evening, according to the email. Lancaster said it would be held as scheduled with school counselors on site.
'Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time,' Lancaster said in the email.
The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed, deputies said.
Natalie Demaree
mcclatchy-newsroom Go to X Email this person 479-616-0125
Natalie Demaree is a national real time reporter covering religion and the Southeast region for McClatchy Media. She holds a master's in journalism from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor's in journalism and political science with a specialization in African and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Migrants and ICE officers contend with heat, smog and illness after detoured South Sudan flight
WASHINGTON (AP) — Migrants placed on a deportation flight originally bound for South Sudan are now being held in a converted shipping container on a U.S. naval base in Djibouti, where the men and their guards are contending with baking hot temperatures, smoke from nearby burn pits and the looming threat of rocket attacks, the Trump administration said. Officials outlined grim conditions in court documents filed Thursday before a federal judge overseeing a lawsuit challenging Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts to swiftly remove migrants to countries they didn't come from. Authorities landed the flight at the base in Djibouti, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from South Sudan, more than two weeks ago after U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston found the Trump administration had violated his order by swiftly sending eight migrants from countries including Cuba and Vietnam to the east African nation. The judge said that men from other countries must have a real chance to raise fears about dangers they could face in South Sudan. The men's lawyers, though, have still not been able to talk to them, said Robyn Barnard, senior director of refugee advocacy at Human Rights First, whose stated mission is to ensure the United States is a global leader on human rights. Barnard spoke Friday at a hearing of Democratic members of Congress and said some family members of the men had been able to talk to them Thursday. The migrants have been previously convicted of serious crimes in the U.S., and President Donald Trump's administration has said that it was unable to return them quickly to their home countries. The Justice Department has also appealed to the Supreme Court to immediately intervene and allow swift deportations to third countries to resume. The case comes amid a sweeping immigration crackdown by the Republican administration, which has pledged to deport millions of people who are living in the United States illegally. The legal fight became another flashpoint as the administration rails against judges whose rulings have slowed the president's policies. The Trump administration said the converted conference room in the shipping container is the only viable place to house the men on the base in Djibouti, where outdoor daily temperatures rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), according to the declaration from an ICE official. Nearby burn pits are used to dispose of trash and human waste, and the smog cloud makes it hard to breathe, sickening both ICE officers guarding the men and the detainees, the documents state. They don't have access to all the medication they need to protect against infection, and the ICE officers were unable to complete anti-malarial treatment before landing, an ICE official said. 'It is unknown how long the medical supply will last,' Mellissa B. Harper, acting executive deputy associate director of enforcement and removal operations, said in the declaration. The group also lacks protective gear in case of a rocket attack from terrorist groups in Yemen, a risk outlined by the Department of Defense, the documents state. ___ Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana contributed to this story.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
'Ghost Adventures' star Aaron Goodwin cries as ex-wife sentenced in plot to kill him
'Ghost Adventures' star Aaron Goodwin cries as ex-wife sentenced in plot to kill him Show Caption Hide Caption TikTok influencer Valeria Marquez shot while livestreaming in Mexico A man fatally shot a 23-year-old Mexican TikTok influencer, Valeria Marquez, while she was livestreaming. Victoria Goodwin, the ex-wife of "Ghost Adventures" star Aaron Goodwin, is heading to prison for helping orchestrate a murder-for-hire plot to kill him. Goodwin's lawyers confirmed to USA TODAY Thursday, June 5, that she had been sentenced to 36-90 months in prison following a guilty plea in April. At the sentencing hearing, cameras for CourtTV captured a clearly distraught Goodwin awaiting her sentencing, listening on as lawyers for her husband recounted the plot in which she is accused of hiring a hitman to kill him rather than ask for a divorce. "Firstly and most importantly, I would like to apologize to Aaron," Goodwin said, through a shaky voice, reading a statement during the hearing. "I'm so immensely sorry for the pain and anxiety I have caused you and the betrayal you undoubtedly and rightfully feel by my actions. "I'm sorry I broke us, and I'm consumed with regret every day," she continued, vowing to bow out of his life forever and adding she was "ashamed" and "disappointed" with herself. Goodwin's lawyers, arguing that she had never been in any previous legal trouble and had by November abandoned the plot to kill, urged for a shorter sentence. Aaron Goodwin then delivered a statement, speaking through tears about his "fear." "This has led me to fear for my life," he said of discovering that his wife had put a hit out on him. "I can't trust anything anymore. I cry every day, I feel so alone. She turned me into a person I never was." Goodwin was originally arrested in March on suspicion of two felony charges: solicitation to commit murder and conspiring to commit murder, according to county court records. According to the criminal complaint, Goodwin hired, commanded or otherwise solicited up to two people to "commit the murder of Aaron Goodwin." They say she conspired with a man via cell phone communications to have her husband "killed by a third party by providing the location of the victim and providing funds to pay for the murder." Investigators uncovered the alleged plot through Victoria Goodwin's text and Facebook message communications with an inmate in Florida, discovered on his phone when it was seized by correction officers in October. During an interview with detectives before her arrest, Goodwin revealed she had become aware of the Florida inmate "through a true crime documentary and began writing to him." "Victoria explained at the time of the text messages," with the inmate, "she and Aaron were going through problems in their marriage. She further described being lonely and began connecting" with the Florida inmate, the report states. When asked about "texts soliciting and conspiring to murder Aaron," police said "she denied wanting her husband to be killed" and denied remembering those specific messages. Who are Victoria and Aaron Goodwin? Aaron Goodwin is a camera operator and star of the Discovery+ paranormal and reality TV series "Ghost Adventures" led by paranormal investigator Zak Bagans. The hit series has been on air since 2008. Aaron and Victoria Goodwin were married in August 2022 and divorced in March. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, KiMi Robinson
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Arizona Teen Girl Dies After Copying Viral 'Dusting' TikTok Trend
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 19-year-old girl from Arizona has died after taking part in a deadly social-media trend. Renna O'Rourke died on Sunday, June 1 after seven days in an ICU. Her death came after she participated in an act known to many on social media as "dusting." "She was the light in every room she walked into, and the pain that her family and friends feel is simply immeasurable," Renna's father, Aaron O'Rourke, said in a GoFundMe set up to cover his daughter's medical and funeral costs. Her organs were donated following her death. An offshoot of "huffing" and "chroming," two other forms of inhalant abuse, "dusting" involves the inhalation of computer dusting spray in an effort to achieve a momentary sense of intoxication. But the inhalation of these toxic chemicals can seriously impact the nervous system resulting in dizziness, slurred speech and, potentially, death. Newsweek has contacted Aaron and Dana O'Rourke, Renna's parents, for comment on email and social media. TikTok has also been contacted for comment. Why It Matters O'Rourke's death is a reminder of the dangers posed by inhalant abuse and the role social media has in tragedies of this kind. In March 2024, an 11-year-old boy from the U.K. died after copying videos he had seen on social media of people sniffing or inhaling toxic substances. Sherri-Ann Gracie, the mother of Tommie-lee, called for action to be taken on social media when her son was found unresponsive after a sleepover at a friend's house; he later died. In May 2023, Esra Haynes, 13, from Melbourne, Australia, died after inhaling chemicals from an aerosol deodorant can while imitating a social-media trend. What is especially concerning to Dana O'Rourke is the easy availability of many of the inhalants used in viral trends like "dusting." She told AZFamily: "There's no ID required. It's odorless. It's everything kids look for. They can afford it, they can get it and it doesn't show in mom and dad's drug test." What To Know Though repeated use can lead to serious health issues, Renna O'Rourke died as a result of "sudden sniffing death syndrome;" this can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise-healthy young person. The DEA says that sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane. Though inhalation abuse is not a new practice, figures cited by CNN show an increase in the number of teens taking part. From 2015 to 2022, the number of 12- to 17-year-old American adolescents using inhalants declined from 684,000 in 2015 to 554,000 in 2022, according to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. However, by 2023, SAMHSA data showed that number was on the rise, climbing to 564,000. There are a huge number of easily available and potentially dangerous inhalants, with the DEA estimating the total is in excess of 1,000. In February 2022, TikTok introduced new measures designed to address the rise of potentially harmful online challenges. Under the changes, any users attempting to search for content designated as potentially harmful would be directed to an in-app guide, while searches for content violated community guideless blocked. A new four-step process for engaging with an online challenge was also introduced. Despite this, some concerns still remain. What People Are Saying Dr. Randy Weisman. from the intensive care unit at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, told AZFamily: "When they inhale these chemicals in the gas it will actually replace the oxygen within their lungs and within the rest of their body." He warned just one huff can prove deadly resulting in "failure of the liver, heart failure, disease of the lungs." What Happens Next Several state legislatures have taken steps to try to deter young people from buying these legal products by placing a restriction on the sale of these products to minors. However, despite posing a risk, many of these substances are not currently controlled by the Controlled Substances Act. Renna's parents look set to challenge this, with Aaron O'Rourke confirming, via the family's GoFundMe, that they will be "pursuing legislation to help prevent any other families from having to go through this."
