A 27-year-old Virginia man, Tyler Chase Butler, has been charged with murder after shooting high school athlete Michael Bosworth, Jr. Reportedly, Bosworth, along with two friends, previously knocked on Butler’s door, as part of a “ding dong ditch” prank to be uploaded to TikTok.
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According to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office (SSO), the incident took place on Saturday, May 3, at around 3 a.m. in Fredericksburg. Deputies responded to a burglary call where a resident, Butler, fired shots. Upon arriving, deputies found Bosworth and another individual, also a juvenile, having suffered gunshot wounds. A third juvenile was unharmed.
While the unnamed injured juvenile was treated and released, Bosworth was transported to a local hospital. He, however, later succumbed to his injuries.
A Prank Gone Wrong
According to NBC Washington, the injured juvenile who survived revealed that, at the time, they were recording “ding dong ditch” pranks to be posted to TikTok. The prank consists of knocking on someone’s door or ringing their bell, and later running and hiding. The third unharmed individual also gave the same story to the police.
An affidavit obtained by The Free Lance-Star revealed that one of the juveniles told police that, as they were running to hide as part of the prank, Butler allegedly began opening fire at them.
Initially, Butler claimed to the police that the teenagers had been attempting to break into his house. However, further police investigation proved otherwise.
Days following the incident, on May 6, Tyler Chase Butler was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He is currently being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on no bond, according to the SSO.
According to Bosworth’s stepfather, as reported by NBC Washington, Bosworth was a Massaponax High School senior. He played lacrosse and football, and also wrestled. When the incident occurred, he was just hours away from going to his high school prom.
Bosworth’s girlfriend went to the prom while wearing Bosworth’s pink bowtie on her wrist. She would post a heartfelt tribute to Instagram, as well as a lantern tribute held by Bosworth’s friends.