Teen shot, killed by Virginia homeowner while recording TikTok prank
A Virginia homeowner was arrested on a murder charge after police say he shot and killed an 18-year-old high school senior when a TikTok prank went wrong.
In a news release, the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office said officers received a call about a residential burglary in progress around 3 a.m. on May 3, during which a resident had fired shots.
'Deputies responded to the area of Mckenzie Lane and discovered that two individuals had sustained gunshot wounds and a third individual was unharmed,' the release added.
According to police, Michael Bosworth Jr., 18, was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
'The second injured individual is a juvenile, who was treated for minor injuries and released. The third involved individual was also a juvenile and will remain unnamed,' according to the news release.
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Police later identified the suspect as Tyler Butler, 27, in an updated release.
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A mugshot of Tyler Chase Butler, who was arrested for second-degree murder after an 18-year-old was shot and killed. Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office / Facebook
He was arrested on charges of second-degree murder, malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in Bosworth's death. He is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on no bond.
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Butler told officers that he believed the teenagers were trying to break into his home, according to NBC Washington.
One of the teens told detectives that they were recording a 'ding-dong ditch' prank for a TikTok video, in which they have someone ring people's doorbells and then run away before they can answer the door, according to a search warrant affidavit viewed by NBC News. Global News has not independently viewed the legal documents.
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One teen said they had been to other houses in the neighbourhood but he was not familiar with the area.
'The juvenile stated that they had run to hide. The juvenile said as they were running from a residence, he and his friends were shot at,' the affidavit said, according to the outlet.
The second teen gave a similar statement and told officers he had a video on his phone of them doing the prank earlier that day.
Massaponax High School, where Bosworth was a student, released a statement following his death.
'School counselors will be on site at the event to provide support as needed,' the school district said in a letter. 'Also, when students return to school on Monday, our counseling staff and additional division support team members will be available to provide support to our students and staff as needed.
'If your child needs support, please contact the school so that we can provide assistance. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.'
The Spotsylvania County commonwealth's lawyer is reviewing the evidence to determine if charges are appropriate or if the homeowner was justifiable in opening fire.
Butler is set to have a preliminary hearing on June 18.
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