Texans have the right to defend themselves and their property, but they don’t get to shoot a child in the back for playing a prank, victims’ advocates said this week.
The Houston community was shaken by the story of 11-year-old Julian Guzman, who was shot on August 30 while fleeing after ringing doorbells in a game of “ding dong ditch” in his East Houston neighborhood. Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, was arrested and charged with murder on Tuesday and is being held on a $1 million bond in the Harris County Jail.
Isabella Carrascal, a Houston native and volunteer with the anti-gun violence advocacy group Students Demand Action at the University of Texas, said a prank shouldn’t be a death sentence.
“This 11-year-old was doing what we’ve been hoping kids these days would do: playing outside, laughing, running around. Now, his family is planning a funeral,” she said in an emailed statement. “This culture that tells people to reach for a gun on an impulse instead of using common sense has real, life-or-death consequences."
"We mourn this young life taken far too soon, and we’ll keep fighting for a world where our generation can grow up without the threat of gun violence," she added.
The prank gone wrong received national media attention and was featured in the New York Times on Tuesday.
The Lone Star State’s "Stand Your Ground" law permits the use of deadly force to protect oneself or others from an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury, provided the person has a legal right to be where they are and is not engaged in criminal activity. It has been used as a defense when a homeowner shoots an armed intruder.
Houston Police Department Public Information Officer Erika Ramirez said she couldn’t answer whether a “stand your ground” situation could be applicable to this incident, suggesting the district attorney might be able to answer that question.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare indicated on social media that such a defense is unlikely, saying the crime would be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”
Over the weekend, an 11-year-old boy was brutally gunned down for simply doing what kids his age do. This investigation is ongoing—but as the father of an 11-year-old myself, I cannot imagine the pain this family is enduring. Gun violence has no place in our community, and this… https://t.co/qmUa2mPrgX
— Sean Teare (@SeanTeareHCDAO) September 2, 2025
“Over the weekend, an 11-year-old boy was brutally gunned down for simply doing what kids his age do,” Teare said. “This investigation is ongoing — but as the father of an 11-year-old myself, I cannot imagine the pain this family is enduring. Gun violence has no place in our community, and this crime will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The punishment for murder in Texas is a minimum of five years in prison and can be as severe as 99 years or life imprisonment. Capital murder charges can be assessed against those who, among other criteria, kill a child under the age of 15. Capital murder convictions can result in the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole.
As of Wednesday morning, more than $18,000 had been raised for Julian's family via a GoFundMe account. An email sent to the GoFundMe organizer, Julian's mother Janet Rodriguez, was not answered.
“Our time is hard as we speak due to the loss of our son,” Rodriguez wrote on Facebook. “Please keep my family in your prayers. And thank you for all the condolences and support you have provided.”
Officer Ramirez declined to answer specific questions about the shooting, referring to a Houston Police Department press release that she said includes the most updated information.
“A witness stated that the victim was running from the house after ringing the doorbell just prior to suffering from a gunshot wound," she said. The shooting occurred around 11 p.m. in the 9700 block of Racine Street.
Social media lit up with speculation that Julian and his friends were engaged in a TikTok challenge and that their parents should have been monitoring the children’s whereabouts at the late hour on a Saturday evening. Some comments alluded to the boys banging on doors or trying to kick them in. Ramirez said the police report only references ringing doorbells.
“I mean obviously, parents should know where their kids are, but like I said, everything we have on this case was put out in a press release,” she said, noting that no one other than Leon has been charged with a crime. In a court appearance Wednesday, District Judge Emily Detoto said more charges could be brought against Leon, who was described as a U.S. Army veteran.
Gonzalo Leon Jr. was charged with murder in the shooting death of 11-year-old Julian Guzman. Photo by Harris County Jail" class="uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle"> click to enlarge
Gonzalo Leon Jr. was charged with murder in the shooting death of 11-year-old Julian Guzman.
Photo by Harris County Jail
Andy Kahan, director of victim services for Crime Stoppers of Houston and a board member of Parents of Murdered Children and Surviving Family Members of Homicide, said his heart goes out to Julian's family.
“From our perspective, Julian’s actions did not merit him being gunned down in cold blood,” Kahan said. “There is no if, and, or but; he presented no danger to [Leon] no matter what the circumstances were. You shouldn’t die for a childhood prank.”
What happened to Julian is not an anomaly, Kahan added, saying that similar situations have occurred in other parts of the country.
“It’s time we as a society come to grips with the negative consequences of social media pranks that we have now seen can lead to deadly consequences,” he said.