07-05-2025
Teen Shot Dead During TikTok Ding-Dong Ditch Prank
Originally appeared on E! Online
A popular childhood prank has cost a Virginia teen his life.
Michael Bosworth Jr., a senior at Massaponax High School, was shot dead May 3 while doing 'ding dong ditch pranks,' his friend—who was grazed by a bullet—told authorities, according to NBC4 Washington. A third teen, who was not injured during the incident, confirmed to officials that they filmed a video of the prank.
The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, citing an affidavit for a search warrant filed in a Spotsylvania court, also reported that a wounded juvenile told police that the shooting followed a ding-dong ditch prank and a detective wrote that the boy told him that he and his friends had pulled it on a couple of homes prior to the shooting, in a bid to post them on TikTok.
The boy also told police that he was not familiar with the neighborhood and that when the shooting occurred, the teens were running away and looking for a place to hide, the newspaper said.
The wounded teen told police that the shooting followed a ding-dong ditch prank and a detective wrote that the boy told him that he and his friends had pulled it on a couple of homes prior to the shooting, in a bid to post them on TikTok, the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star reported May 6, citing an affidavit for a search warrant filed in a Spotsylvania court.
The boy also told police that he was not familiar with the neighborhood and that when the shooting occured, the teens were running away and looking for a place to hide, the outlet said.
The third teen, who was uninjured, told authorities the group was filming dingdong ditch pranks for TikTok, offering their phone to police to show a similar video shot earlier that night, NBC Washington reported.
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'On May 3, 2025 at approximately 3:00 a.m., the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office received a call for a residential burglary in progress, where a resident had fired shots,' authorities confirmed in a press release. 'Deputies responded to the area of Mckenzie Lane and discovered that two individuals had sustained gunshot wounds and a third individual was unharmed."
Bowsworth was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, while his friend was treated for 'minor injuries and released.'
Instagram / Michael Bosworth Jr.
Fredericksburg homeowner Tyler Chase Butler, 27, was arrested May 6 in connection with the death. He was charged with second-degree murder and felony assault with firearm use in commission of felony—first offense, according to Spotsylvania County court records obtained by E! News.
Butler, who is being held in jail without bond, told investigators before his arrest that the teens were trying to break into his home, NBC Washington reported.
The shooting took place hours before the Massaponax High School prom and less than two weeks before graduation. On May 6, several of Bosworth's friends released helium balloons on the school's football field to honor his memory, as seen in a Facebook video.
Khamoni Keys, who said he was teammates with Bosworth on the freshman football team, shared memories of his late friend after the shooting, saying he "wasn't ever scared to show how he felt about things."
"He was a very passionate person about stuff," he told local news outlet ABC 7. "It's sad he had to go the way he did, but I know his family won't be by themselves. We will all be there for them, as well."
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