Ding Dong Ditch Murder: “This Is Not Stand Your Ground, This Is Not Manslaughter, This Is Murder”

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present

Episode: Ding Dong Ditch Murder: “This Is Not Stand Your Ground, This Is Not Manslaughter, This Is Murder”

Date: September 3, 2025

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Episode Overview

Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes delve into a tragic Houston incident where an 11-year-old boy, Julian Guzman, was shot and killed after playing a “ding dong ditch” prank. The episode serves as a sobering examination of gun violence, legal doctrines like "stand your ground," societal changes in pranking culture fueled by social media, and the devastating consequences when anger overtakes judgment. The hosts also place this event into a broader national pattern of similar violent reactions to youth pranks.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Incident: What Happened?

[02:49–06:10]

• Julian Guzman, 11, and his cousin were attending a family birthday party and left to play “ding dong ditch”—ringing doorbells and running away, pranks the hosts admit they did as kids.
• The boys targeted Gonzalo Leon Jr.'s house three times; on the third, Leon waited in the shadows with a gun.
• He fired a warning shot into the ground, then, as the boys fled, fired multiple shots, hitting Julian in the back from 20 feet away.
• Julian’s cousin tried to drag him away; the entire episode was recorded on Julian’s cell phone, including his final breaths.

  "To actually get the details…starting at a birthday party…to think that it ended with 11-year-old Julian Guzman dead, shot multiple times in the back—and it was all caught on camera." – Amy Robach [04:22]

2. Legal and Emotional Reactions

[06:10–09:47]

• Gonzalo Leon Jr., 42, was charged with murder and held on $1 million bond.
• The defense claims it was a "tragic accident" and asks people "not to jump to conclusions."
• The hosts are incredulous, struggling to find any justification:

  "How in God’s name…? The kid was running down the street and the guy was waiting in the wings. I don't understand." – T.J. Holmes [09:35]

3. Stand Your Ground & Castle Doctrine Explored

[09:47–13:19]

• Amy reviews Texas law, explaining that deadly force is not justified against a trespasser unless there’s clear threat—especially if the trespasser is fleeing and is a child.
• Discussion of “Castle Doctrine” and “Stand Your Ground”—why these don’t apply here.

  "Texas law only permits the use of force, not deadly force…It’s a gray area when you just have someone who’s trespassing." – Amy Robach [11:13]

• T.J. relates this case to past cases like Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, showing the complexities and public anger around these legal defenses.

4. Social Media’s Role & Changing Nature of Pranks

[15:08–18:48, 20:36–25:01]

• Pranks today are often filmed for TikTok and are more aggressive: repeated door pounding, use of disguises (ski masks), and targeting the same homes multiple times.

  "They're not just dinging, ringing the doorbell or knocking. They're running and almost punching and kicking the doors…In some cases, the kids have been wearing damn ski masks." – T.J. Holmes [21:35]

• The hosts stress that pranks like this are different from what they or most adults experienced as children.

5. Pattern of Escalating Violence & Recent Cases

[25:01–27:44]

• Multiple recent instances of deadly retaliation against pranks:
  • 2020, Southern CA: Man chased and killed three 16-year-olds by ramming their car after such a prank—now serving life without parole. [25:01]
  • May 2025, Virginia: 18-year-old shot and killed during a similar prank; shooter faces second-degree murder. [25:55]
  • July 2025, Texas: Man shot at teens’ car after a prank, charged with aggravated assault. [26:48]
• Police have started releasing videos (e.g., Chandler, AZ) to warn of how frightening these pranks can appear to homeowners, suggesting the real risk of escalation.

6. Homeowner Perspective & Gun Ownership

[27:55–29:45]

• T.J. shares a personal anecdote of reacting to Halloween pranks with fear and readiness to grab a gun, showing how easily such situations can escalate, even if he never intended violence.

  "I went and grabbed my Sig Sauer 9 millimeter pistol…At that moment…my first mode of operation was protection." – T.J. Holmes [28:17]

• Both agree that grabbing a weapon in fear is a natural reaction but stress the need for awareness and de-escalation, especially given today's context.

7. The Aftermath and Call to Action

[29:45–32:57]

• The prosecutor's poignant statement is highlighted:

  "One lost a little boy before he even got to start his life. And another has a father and husband facing life in prison because of one angry act—one maybe even split second decision. Two families are completely destroyed because of it." – [30:45]

• Amy and T.J. urge parents to talk to their kids about the risks—not just of pranking, but of amplifying things for social media.
• They also call on homeowners and gun owners to recognize genuine threats versus pranks, and to resist violent escalation.
• The episode closes by mourning the tragedy, reflecting on how preventable it seemed, and expressing hope this story serves as a warning that prevents future loss.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the horror captured on video:

  "You hear the shots ringing out to you actually hear him taking his final breaths…" – Amy Robach [07:00]

• On homeowner rage:

  "You would also assume, okay, he's an army vet. He's trained—not just trained to use a weapon, I'm saying he's trained to deal in stressful situations…How do you calculate an 11-year-old boy as a threat to your home…?" – T.J. Holmes [23:47-24:21]

• On social contagion:

  "Everyone wants to one up. You want to make a better video…everyone's trying to up the ante and it makes things all the more dangerous." – Amy Robach [22:17]

• Reflections on escalation:

  "The time it takes to get your gun, load it, cock it, walk outside, find a good hiding place…and wait. That's enough time to calm down." – T.J. Holmes [31:46]

• Summing up the stakes:

  "Two families completely devastated, will never be the same again." – Amy Robach [32:20]

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Important Timestamps

• [02:49] — Introduction to the Houston ding dong ditch shooting
• [04:22] — How the prank unfolded, Julian Guzman's death
• [06:10] — Details from the scene; court update
• [09:47] — Analysis of Stand Your Ground, Castle Doctrine laws in Texas
• [13:19] — Similar cases, historical perspective
• [21:35] — Escalating pranking trends on TikTok
• [25:01] — Southern California case: deadly chase after a prank
• [28:17] — T.J.’s personal story with home defense and firearms
• [30:45] — Prosecutor's quote on family devastation
• [31:46–32:57] — Reflections on violence, anger, and preventability

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Tone and Delivery

Amy and T.J. balance journalistic rigor with raw emotion—Amy often brings legal clarity and context, while T.J. seeks to channel parental instincts, righteous anger, and bewilderment at the senselessness of the violence. Their tone is urgent, compassionate, occasionally incredulous, and always focused on what listeners can learn to avoid tragedy for themselves and others.

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Takeaways

• "Ding dong ditch" may seem harmless to kids, but social media amplification and increased aggression have made it dangerous.
• Gun ownership brings immense responsibility—fear should not justify fatal action, especially against children.
• Legal defenses like Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine have limits; the law is clear that deadly force requires a real, imminent threat.
• One moment of rage can destroy multiple families forever.

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If you have children, talk to them frankly about the risks of pranking and social media dares. And as a community, remain vigilant, measured, and prioritize de-escalation—because, as this story painfully illustrates, the cost of a mistake can be irreversible.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. December 29, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush. Parents hauling luggage, Kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged. Terrorism. Listen to the new season of law and criminal justice System on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, it's Honey German, and I'm back with season two of my podcast, Gracias. Come again. We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment, with interviews with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition.

[B]

No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned in, like, over 25 years.

[A]

Oh, wow. That's a real g talk right there.

[B]

Oh, ye.

[A]

We'll talk about all that's viral and trending with a little bit of Cheeseman and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great Bibras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Gracias. Come again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Do we really need another podcast with a condescending finance bro trying to tell us how to spend our own money? No, thank you. Instead, check out Brown Ambition. Each week, I, your host, Mandy Money gives you real talk, real advice with a heav dose of I feel useless. Like on Fridays when I take your questions for the baqa. Whether you're trying to invest for your future, navigate a toxic workplace, I got you. Listen to Brown ambition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of the psychology podcast. Here's a clip from an upcoming conversation about how to be a better you. When you think about emotion regulation, you're not going to choose an adaptive strategy which is more effortful to use un unless you think there's a good outcome. Avoidance is easier. Ignoring is easier. Denial is easier. Complex problem solving takes effort. Listen to the psychology podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult, but it happens all the time to people just like you and people just like us. I'm Lola Blanc. And I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out Trust me. New episodes every Wednesday on. Exactly right. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Hey there folks. It is Wednesday, September 3rd and we need to talk about what is happening in Houston. Welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. You and I have gone back and forth about this story quite a bit since we got word of it over the weekend. But an 11 year old boy shot and killed after playing a prank. Door knock. What is it called? Door.

[A]

It's a Ding Dong ditch.

[B]

Ding Dong Ditch is the name of it. What do we call it when we.

[A]

Were kids just pranking? Like let's, let's, let's knock on their door and run away and then watch them come out and look for who it is and laugh. Yes, I absolutely played this as a kid.

[B]

Okay, so that is what an 11 year old boy in Houston was doing. Just like so many of us were doing. We were kids. And he ends up dead because he was shot in the back as he was running away from a house. And whoever was in that house, a man has now been arrested. He has been charged and he is being held as we speak on a one million dollar bond. He was in court today. We want to get you caught up here folks. But we this does need to come, Robes, with a warning and alert to us all, to parents in particular, that it's not a game any you can get killed playing a game, it's a prank. Kids shouldn't do it, don't get me wrong. But that's not the point that nobody's suggesting that this kid did anything wrong that night.

[A]

He didn't do anything worthy of what happened to him certainly. And to actually get the details of how it all unfolded and it started at a birthday party and you got two bored boys, cousins who kind of just sneaked out from the party and decided to have some fun ringing doorbells and running away. To think that it ended with 11 year old Julian Guzman dead, shot multiple times in the back and it was all caught on camera.

[B]

So let's. And folks, there is certain. Oh my God. Robes. So many elements of the story that don't make any sense. But where we are. And I want you to pick up on the details of the night here in a second. But to get you all caught up, today was the day the suspect, which he's not necessarily denying that he did the shooting. He says some context is necessary. Gonzalo Leon Jr 42 year old man has now been charged with murder in the killing of this 11 year old boy after a prank. And he chased the Kid essentially down the street shoots him in the back. Kid is dead. Now he, that happened on last Saturday robes. He wasn't arrested until Tuesday. He has made a court appearance now in which he is being held on $1 million bond. Now go back robes to Saturday night. And the first thing I thought, 11 year old kid, 11 o' clock at night. Why does no one know where he is? That's, that's the parent in me talking. That wasn't me trying to say he got what he should have expected, something bad. No, that's not what we're saying. That was my first thought. But now we got more details about exactly what he was doing that night.

[A]

Right. He was at a family birthday party and you know, the adults were prob doing their thing and the kids got bored and so yeah, they kind of just took off at night while everyone was preoccupied at this birthday party and they started doing the ring ringing of the doorbells and running away. And when it came to the home of Gonzalo Leon Jr. They had already done it twice, they had pranked him twice and it was the third time he was waiting for them. According to Julian's cousin who was there, who gave police a lot of the information, who was actually able to give police the description them to finally arresting Gonzalo Leon Jr. But he said that this man was waiting for them in the dark on the side of the house with a gun in his hand and fired a warning shot into the ground first. Don't know why he didn't stop there because the boys took off running. And that is when he then fired multiple shots that hit 11 year old Julian and he fell to the ground. And his cousin described trying to drag him away from where the bullets were. I mean it's just, it's, it's horrific. And here is the detail that really is going to take your breath away. Julian was videoing this the entire time on his cell phone because this whole thing, these, these pranks, it's, it's big on tick tock and we've got plenty of other unfortunate incidents to point to. Some of them deadly over the last, even the last few months, but certainly over the past couple of years where kids are filming their attempt at pranking and thinking it's funny. So he has it all on his cell phone from the moment he rang the doorbell and ran to you hear the shots ringing out to you actually hear him taking his final breaths.

[B]

I hope this guy pleads and that never has to make it to the light of day because they're Gonna have to use that in a trial, are they not in open court.

[A]

It's absolute evidence.

[B]

I hope that never makes it to the light of day.

[A]

Can you imagine as a juror having to watch that? Any human being having to watch that and hear that and know what happened. It's, it's, it's unreal actually to think that it's all captured.

[B]

So he has now been charged, yes, with murder held on one million dollar bond, which is what happened in court today. But today is robes, when we got a detail and we got an idea of what happened and, and where the prosecution wants to go with this and where even the defense wants to go with this. And yes, they do already have kind of a defense forming robes. It's hard to imagine. And if we go back through these details in which I am struggling with and the new detail for me at least I found out today, is that he was waiting in the shadows. He was waiting.

[A]

He was mad.

[B]

Well, he was mad. But Robes, if, if, if he was waiting, didn't he see that there was a child approaching his door?

[A]

Of course he had to have seen it was a child.

[B]

How I am struggling to find any way. Because they said in court, his defense attorney, there needs to be. Everybody needs to not jump to conclusions. You need to wait until you have a full context of the night's events. Okay.

[A]

They called it a tragic accident.

[B]

How in God's name now? Because I thought initially when I first heard 11 year old shot prank, I was like, oh my God, some guy scared the hell out of some guy. He went to the door, just started firing in a panic, right. And hit the kid. That's what I, that was the first thought. Wait, the kid was running down the street and now I hear the guy was waiting in the wings. I don't understand.

[A]

You can't justify that in any way. And then the autopsy clearly showed that the boy at the time, time of when the bullet hit him, he was 20ft away from the gun. So he was far enough away from this man. He was not a threat, he wasn't running to him, he was running away from him. And he was already 20ft away and he was far away from this man's house. So there's really a hard, like I don't know how you could defend any of his actions based on any of the current laws that are in place right now. We really did do a bit of a deep dive on your stand your ground law. Of course, that is something that most likely will come up and there is actually something I went into the texas.gov and looked up some of these possible scenarios and it specifically references trespassers. Okay, so you could say that this 11 year old boy was a trespasser. So when you enter onto or into someone's property, and even, especially if you've been told to leave by someone with authority. So we don't know if he had yelled at them earlier? No, there's no report that he did. But still, he's going on someone else's property. So okay, fine, he was trespassing. But they say if you grab your firearm and you go outside and you fire a shot at a trespasser or someone who is merely creeping around your yard, you will likely find yourself facing a serious felony. Texas law only permits the use of force, not deadly force. And you certainly. That's a, it's a gray area when you just have someone who's trespassing.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Now make that someone an 11 year old boy.

[B]

Okay, but if that trespasser is running away from your home and is 20ft away from you. Oh, I thought you were stopping me. I thought.

[A]

Oh, no, you're right. No, no, no, you're right. I see. I hear what you're saying.

[B]

I just don't get it. And a lot of folks from the south, you and I spent a lot of time growing up in the South. Was in Atlanta and I'm a gun owner. I was a gun owner in Atlanta. At least. Excuse me, let me make sure I live in New York now.

[A]

You're not a ghost authorities.

[B]

I am no longer a gun. But I was down there and there was stand your ground law. And castle doctrine is what we were talking about.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Earlier. There are laws in certain states that if someone is on your property uninvited, you don't have to ask questions. You can shoot and kill that person.

[A]

That's scary.

[B]

The Castle doctrine. They're uninvited in your home, on your property. You have no duty to retreat in any way, form or fashion. That's one thing. The stand your ground law is another. Yes. We listen to this robes and we're thinking, how could he possibly. 11 year old kid running away. But if this comes up, remember George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin for second degree murder based on stand your ground. Jordan Davis. He was killed by Michael Dunn. That case in Florida as well. This wasn't at a home. They were at a gas station. The kid was playing music louder than the dude liked and he shot and killed him. First trial, hung jury based on stand your ground. He was found guilty later. But I'm saying I would never imagine in those two cases. I could never imagine in this case. But I've been wrong before.

[A]

That's frightening. It's frightening because it will be hard for this man to be able to justify that he didn't know this was an unarmed child. It will be hard for this man to somehow prove to a jury that he felt threatened. Now, he's a father. He is a husband. His wife and his toddler daughter were inside the home. We know that much. And he really hasn't said much at all. In fact, police said when they went to talk to him that evening because they actually went out and talked to him and released him, he didn't answer any of their questions. He didn't acknowledge anything. He didn't claim to know anything. He completely closed his mouth, did not say a word. And you know, anyone who is potentially going to be charged with the crime, they'll tell you that's the right thing to do. You remember protecting yourself.

[B]

We were covering the story and we said the kid was shot on Saturday. Then we come to Sunday, then we come to Monday. What the hell are they waiting on? They. Why hasn't anybody been arrested? Makes sense now.

[A]

Yeah. He said nothing. He wouldn't even acknowledge that he knew what had happened. So they had to go through other means, especially the cousin. They leaned on him heavily to try and get the description to be able to arrest him. But he has not spoken at all about what happened, how it happened, why it happened. He hasn't shown remorse. He hasn't said a word.

[B]

You said the cousin, can you imagine?

[A]

No, he. And he said he wished he could have done more. I mean, can you imag. He saw it all happen and he's going to live with that for the rest of his life.

[B]

They were just out. And you know what robes. I have done and we need to. And you know what? We're going to get into this because warnings. Police are putting out warnings. Parents are putting out warnings across the country to talk to your kids about this. Ding. I keep getting wrong.

[A]

Ding dong, ding dong ditch.

[B]

Ding dong ditch prank. And I thought it was. Look, I've done it before as a kid. You run up, you hit the doorbell and you run away, run like hell. But folks, that's not actually what a lot of these kids are. Are doing. It's much more aggressive, severe and scary than what we used to do as kids. So we want to tell you what that is about and we also want to go through a number of recent incidents. And there are some people spending the rest of their lives in prison without the possibility of parole because they reacted after somebody pranked them.

[A]

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[B]

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[B]

All right, folks, continuing now here on Amy and tj, look where there is a lot of focus on the 11 year old boy who was shot and killed in Houston after the ding dong ditch prank he played down there in Houston. But robes, this has been something that police have been warning about and parents have been warning about for a while because again, you said you remember doing it as a kid. Yeah, right. I remember doing it is you go up and you ring the doorbell and you run away and that's the end of it.

[A]

Absolutely. We like dare you do it. No, you do it and go up and you'd run and then you'd run so fast and you'd go hide in the woods or somewhere where you could see the person come out and you'd laugh. That was it.

[B]

That's it. Okay folks, that's not what they're necessarily doing these days. They are. And again, you can see all this stuff on TikTok. There's a whole section curated just for these videos. And people are making them and what they're doing is they're not just doing it once or twice, they're doing it three times.

[A]

Banging loudly.

[B]

And so they're not just dinging, ringing the doorbell or knocking. They are running and almost punching and kicking the doors. It would scare the hell out of you if somebody did this to you in the middle of the night. And in some cases robes. The kids have been wearing damn ski masks. Ski masks.

[A]

Because it makes the video funnier and.

[B]

It keeps you from being identified by all the damn ring cams. So if somebody in a ski mask is outside my home at 1am banging and kicking the door, why am I supposed to take them as anything other than a threat? That's the conversation you got to have.

[A]

With your kids because they see it on tick tock, they think it's funny. They and. And everyone wants to one up. Right. So you want to make a better video, a more interesting video, a funnier video, a cooler video. And so everyone's trying to up the ante and it makes things all the more dangerous. And it really is frightening because you can understand in some of those circumstances where the homeowner. Yes. Would potentially have a. A violent reaction going into self defense mode or defending your family mode. That actually makes sense. That is not. I mean look, I'm sure from anger. Look, yeah, I'm sure happened in this most recent case. Obviously he was waiting for him. So he knew they were kids but he was pissed, he was angry, he was pissed off. He was kid maybe woke his baby up. Maybe the baby's cr, you know, who knows. And sure, I'm sure that was annoying and that was irritating and he was angry. But shoot the kid but to. To have it rise to that level is in that case just not at all warranted Anyway out of his.

[B]

And have we said he was an army vet?

[A]

We did not say that he's an army vet.

[B]

And I didn't see you said they found a boatload of guns.

[A]

Authorities searched his home. They recovered 20 firearms including and this is the words they use, a handful of AR style rifles, shotguns and medium caliber pistols. So this is a man who was heavily armed in his own home.

[B]

But you would also assume, okay, he's an army vet. He's trained. Not just trained to use a weapon. I'm Saying he's trained to deal in stressful situations.

[A]

You're right.

[B]

I would argue how you see how you. How do you calculate an 11 year old boy as a threat to your home or your family to the point you have to shoot him as he's running? I don't. He had to have been out of his mind in a rage like he had an out of body experience. Rope, I cannot understand how anything is going to explain this one.

[A]

No, I, and I don't think it is explainable. But he's not the only person who has reacted this way.

[B]

And some of them robes in some of these cases, folks. And they have been deaths. There have been a number of deaths in this country connected to ding. I keep messing up Ding Dong Ditch. What did we call it? Just a doorbell dash or doorbell dash, whatever.

[A]

I think we would just say let's go ring doorbells and run away. We didn't have a clever name. There were no hashtag and certainly we weren't videoing it or posting it. You know, there's none of that. It was just for the experience. It wasn't to show it to anyone else or to show off to anyone else. It was just because simply we were bored.

[B]

One of the most horrific ones row incidents, the one in Southern California, this was one that many people cite. But I thought this was going to be a case of. This is so unbelievable because he didn't just react by shooting somebody outside of his door. He got in his car, ran him, ran him down.

[A]

He chased them down. Yeah. 2020 Southern California, he killed three 16 year old boys. He got into his car and ran them off the road like rammed into them. So he hit their vehicle twice the speeds, got up to 100 miles an hour because he was chasing them and they were scared. So yes, three 16 year olds died. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole over a year.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Doorbell knock prank. Yep.

[B]

He is in life for the rest of his life.

[A]

Yeah. In prison for the rest of his life.

[B]

And we'll never get out.

[A]

And just this past May, so May of this year we only have to go to Virginia. An 18 year old was shot and killed while recording same thing, a Ding Dong ditch prank. Now the 27 year old who he was pranking is facing a second degree murder charge for that. So, so you know this is, this is something that has been deadly for multiple years. So in just July of this year, so we're talking two months ago. This is also in Texas, a man was charged after he shot at the car carrying the group of teenagers. So they were taking off in the car, but he shot at them. And so he got three counts of aggravated assault, thank goodness. But he could have killed them. He could have shot them. He just happened to miss. So he is still facing serious charges for that. But he so angry. Yeah, shot at them in their car taking off.

[B]

And if you all want to know what we're talking about and how some of these are aggressive, the police in Arizona. Chandler, Arizona, when was it? I don't have a note, but it was this summer. They warned people about this by putting out videos that they had captured of these kids doing it. And it gives you an idea and how scary it could be for a homeowner to have this happen at your front door. So if you get a chance again, Chandler, Arizona police, just look that up, Google them and look up just video, door dock, whatever, and you'll see it and it'll give you an idea of what we're talking.

[A]

This one they said was called a door kicking challenge. So it was this in the same vein. But yes, this is when they're kicking the door and they actually showed some of these teens targeting the same home. One home was hit 18 times. So they go back to the same people just to aggravate them.

[B]

Torment.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Awful. And so what do you do and how do you retaliate as a homeowner? You shoot 11 year old boy?

[A]

No, never. Obviously. No.

[B]

You know, I thought about this earlier. I wanted to discuss. And I don't know it would, but it was my reaction in Atlanta, my house in Atlanta. I was there by myself. And one night I started hearing things, knocking on the door. You've been in the house there, you know, upstairs, by yourself in there.

[A]

It feels scary.

[B]

A little scary, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I heard things outside hitting my window. I thought somebody was trying to get into the house or whatever. You know what? The first thing I did, I went and grabbed my gun. I went and grabbed my Sig Sauer 9 millimeter pistol and got it in my hand. And then, you know, I went to the front room, to the library and started looking out, trying to figure out what was going on. And then when I finally saw egg yolk going down my window, it was freaking Halloween. Kids were playing some prank or some joke, some doings, and they were just pelting me that night, throwing eggs at the house. Throwing eggs. Okay, fine. But I am saying in a moment like that, at that moment that night, I had no idea that kids were playing a prank. I wasn't about to go shoot a kid. But I didn't know what was happening.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And my first mode of operation was to protection. There's a threat outside. Let me see what it is. So I put myself in this context of that to how quickly I did calm down.

[A]

Right.

[B]

When you figure out what's going on in the moment. But if somebody's banging on your door or whatever else, it's gonna scare the hell out of you. It just does. And I How do you. Why are we so desperate now? These kids did for mindless entertainment. It's one thing. So it's not even like you're. You got a joy out of watching it as a kid doing it yourself right now.

[A]

Everybody else, this is about getting likes and about getting reposted and about going viral. So that's all you know. And that is where parents do need to step in and talk to their kids. If you know your kids are doing this, know what they're posting on TikTok, see what is, you know, what their pastimes are. It seems like they're doing something harmless. But this could actually and has proven to be deadly. And so it just, it's just a warning to. To everyone involved that this is happening. Parents need to talk to their kids, but homeowners need to recognize also that it's possible. And just I, you know, you just. The first reaction can't be violence. The. But the prosecutor today was pretty remarkable. He was, you know, he knows he has a really a global audience at this point because this has become a national story and a worldwide story in this Houston area. And he said something, and it's a quote worth repeating. He said today one lost a little boy before he even got to start his life. And another has a father and husband facing life in prison because of one angry act, just one bad decision, one maybe even split second decision. And two families are completely destroyed because of it.

[B]

How old did you say his kid was?

[A]

Toddler.

[B]

Right.

[A]

He has a toddler. A toddler daughter. That's how it was described.

[B]

It's over.

[A]

Yeah. Two families completely devastated, will never be the same again. So anyway, it's just, it's. It's an important story. It's an important story to remember on all sides and what we can each do and how we can talk to our kids and remember that sometimes your kids don't know they're 11. I mean, 11. That's what kids do. They're silly and they make bad decisions.

[B]

And again, ropes I the time it takes to get your gun Load it, cock it, walk outside, find a good hiding place on the side of your house and wait. That's enough time to calm down. Right after two door knocks, he. He figured something out. He figured something was up. If a criminal is coming to kill you or coming to harm your family, or coming to rob you, they don't knock on the door two times before they do it, do they?

[A]

No.

[B]

He knows good and hell well what's going on. I'm saying I do not understand how all of that. He had all of those moments and he's still in a rage. Enough. He's 11. He's not he. And he's not a towering 11 year old. He doesn't look like a grown ass.

[A]

No, he does.

[B]

A baby.

[A]

He does look like a baby.

[B]

How robes do you get the gun loaded, walk outside, find a hiding spot and you're still pissed. Enough.

[A]

That is what. The prosecutor will likely be the jury when this goes to trial. But we know that Mr. Leon will be back in court mid October, I believe, and we will follow this case and, and hopefully there will be no other cases like this. There have been far too many just this summer alone. So we hope this is the end of it. And maybe this unbelievably tragic story will be a warning to so many others out there to make sure this does not happen again. But thank you for listening to us today. I'm Amy Robach alongside T.J. holmes. We do hope you have a good rest of your day, everybody. December 29, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush. Parents hauling luggage. Kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged. Terrorism. Listen to the new season of law and criminal justice System on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast Season four is here and we're locked in.

[B]

That means more Juicy Cheeseman, Terrible love advice.

[A]

Evil spells to cast on your ex. No, no, we're not doing that this season. Oh, well, this season we're leveling up.

[B]

Each episode will feature a special bestie.

[A]

And you're not going to want to miss it. My name is Curly. And I'm Maya.

[B]

Get in here.

[A]

Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of the Psychology podcast. Here's a clip from an upcoming conversation about how to be a better you when emotion regulation. You're not going to choose an adaptive strategy which is more effortful to use unless you think there's a good outcome. Avoidance is easier.

[B]

Ignoring is easier.

[A]

Denial is easier. Complex problem solving takes effort. Listen to the Psychology podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

I just normally do straight stand up, but this is a bit different.

[A]

What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club? A new podcast called Wisecrack, where a comedian finds himself at the center of a chilling true crime story.

[B]

Does anyone know what show they've come to see? It's a story. It's about the scariest night of my life.

[A]

This is Wisecrack, available now. Listen to Wisecrack on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Jenica Lopez, and in the new season of the Over Comfort podcast, I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time? Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite spaces, the kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcomer podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast.