Virginia teenager shot dead after TikTok prank mistakenly assumed as break-in attempt

Economic Times

07-05-2025

In a classic case of TikTok prank failure, an 18-year-old was allegedly shot dead by a man who was supposedly under the impression that a group of teenagers was trying to break into his property. A friend of the deceased survived with a graze wound. A third boy managed to escape unharmed.
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Virginia high school senior shot dead during prank
Here's how the tragedy unfolded
Michael Bosworth Jr's friends recount horror
What is Ding Dong Ditch?
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A high school student was allegedly shot dead in Virginia 's Fredericksburg by a homeowner who was under the impression that his property was facing an attempted break-in, according to authorities. However, a surviving friend of the deceased has claimed that they were merely recording a prank called " ding dong ditch " and had plans that the video would be shared on TikTok later, as per police documents cited by media outlets.The incident took place this past Saturday. The homeowner, 27-year-old Tyler Chase Butler, has been charged with the killing of 18-year-old Michael Bosworth Jr . He has also been charged with wounding one of the two other teenagers, who were accompanying the high school athlete at the time of the incident. According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office, the shooting took place after Bosworth and his two friends banged on Butler's door as part of their prank.The incident was initially reported as an attempted burglary in a residential neighbourhood during the wee hours, the New York Post reported citing a statement from the sheriff's office. Butler reportedly told the investigators that three teenagers were attempting to break into his house. However, one of the two surviving boys maintained that they were only trying to capture their prank on camera, police documents suggest.The boy who made it out alive with a graze wound said he and his friends were looking for a hiding spot when several gunshots went off back-to-back, a local media outlet reported. The third member of the group was lucky to escape unharmed. He, too, insisted before the police that they were only playing a game of "ding dong ditch", NBC 4 Washington said in a report."Ding dong ditch" is a prank that involves knocking on the door or ringing the doorbell of an unsuspecting resident and fleeing from the spot before they can answer the door. Bosworth was a senior at Massaponax High School. He was shot dead just hours before his prom, which was reportedly slated to take place in the evening. According to his stepfather, the teenager used to play football and lacrosse besides being a part of the school wrestling team.It is a prank that involves knocking on the door of a house or ringing its doorbell and then fleeing from the spot before the resident can answer the door.He was 18 years old and was about to graduate high school. In fact, he was shot dead just hours before his scheduled prom.