The gunman accused of shooting an 11-year-old to death after allegedly ding-dong-ditching nearby homes on Houston’s Eastside has been identified as an Army Veteran, a U.S. Army spokesperson confirmed with KPRC 2.
I just confirmed with a U.S. Army spokesperson that Gonzalo Leon Jr., the man facing a murder charge for the 11-year-old shot while playing ding dong ditch, was an Army veteran.
— Jaewon Jung (@jaewonnews) September 2, 2025
I'm working on details on where he was based, years of service and ranking.@KPRC2
INITIAL REPORT: Suspect detained after 11-year-old shot in back during ‘ding-dong ditch’ prank dies
Houston police said Gonzalo Leon, 42, has been charged with shooting 11-year-old Julian Guzman on Saturday.
Witnesses said Julian was last seen running from a house, after ringing the doorbell, “just prior to suffering a gunshot wound.”
Previously, Leon was detained by investigators and questioned before he was released while an investigation was conducted.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was consulted by detectives and murder charges were filed and accepted on Monday.
HPD said members of their SWAT team took the 42-year-old into custody and booked him in the Harris County Jail.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare says he’s looking to upgrade the charges to capital murder and will be requesting $1 million bond Wednesday.
Teare says he is not pursing any charges against the guardians or people responsible for watching the kids who were out at 11 p.m. He also says they are looking for ballistics to confirm the type of gun shot.