A household in Fredericksburg, Va. is in mourning after a highschool senior was gunned down. Now, the alleged shooter is in custody, and his alleged protection is elevating questions. It began when the sufferer and his two pals determined to play a prank in an area neighborhood.
“Ding dong ditch,” though annoying in the event you’re on the receiving finish, is a well known prank the place somebody rings the doorbell and runs away earlier than the home-owner may catch who did it. Michael Bosworth, Jr., 18, and two different teenagers began the sport in an unfamiliar neighborhood, however they had been quickly met with bullets.
Officers acquired an emergency name regarding a house invasion in progress round 3 a.m. on Saturday (Might 3), in line with an announcement by the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Workplace. When deputies arrived to the scene of the crime, they discovered Bosworth and one other teen affected by gunshot wounds. Bosworth was rushed to the hospital, the place he could be pronounced lifeless. A second teen survived with “gentle accidents,” and one other was not wounded.
The alleged shooter, a resident named Tyler Chase Butler, was taken into custody. He instructed police the three teenagers had been making an attempt to interrupt into his home, however the surviving teenagers instructed a distinct story, in line withNBC 4 Washington.
In line with them, the trio was merely taking part in a prank which was meant to be uploaded to TikTok. They supplied police their telephones to confirm, utilizing earlier movies and photos from that evening to hopefully corroborate their story, in accordance to Legislation & Crime. Police haven’t confirmed their findings. One of many teenagers stated they had been in search of a spot to cover after ringing Butler’s doorbell. That’s when pictures rang off, grazing him and killing his good friend, Bosworth.
Bosworth was a senior at Massaponax Excessive Faculty, who performed lacrosse, soccer and was on the wrestling group, his stepfather instructed NBC 4 Washington. The 18-year-old was additionally set to attend his senior promenade, which was scheduled for a similar day he was killed.
Massaponax Principal William Lancaster III responded to the tragedy sharing he was “saddened” to announce the information of the teenager’s demise. He additionally revealed he reached out to Bosworth’s household to supply assist.
The suspect, Butler, has now been charged with “Homicide 2nd diploma, Malicious Wounding and two counts of Use of a Firearm within the Fee of a Felony,” in line with an up to date assertion by police. He was denied bond and stays in custody on the Rappahannock Regional Jail.