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.
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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.
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