Teen allegedly playing 'ding dong ditch' with friends fatally shot hours before his senior prom
05/09/2025 2:59 pm PDT
SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (TCN) -- A 27-year-old man was taken into custody this week for allegedly fatally shooting an 18-year-old and injuring a juvenile during an alleged burglary.
On May 3 at 3 a.m., Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home on Mackenzie Lane after receiving a call about a burglary in progress with gunshots. When deputies arrived, they found three people, two of whom had gunshot wounds. Paramedics transported one of the victims, Michael Bosworth Jr., to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. The other victim who was shot sustained minor injuries and was later released.
Three days later, deputies arrested Tyler Chase Butler on charges of second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
WJLA-TV reports Butler believed the teens were trying to enter his home by kicking the back door, so he fired shots. Bosworth’s friends, however, reportedly told detectives that they were playing "ding dong ditch" and recording videos of it for TikTok. They allege Butler opened fire as they were running away.
Bosworth was a senior at Massaponax High School, where he played on the lacrosse and football teams.
According to WRC-TV, Bosworth died the same day as his high school prom.
The sheriff’s office said Butler is in custody without bond.
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