A person from Virginia has been accused of second -degree homicide after fatally capturing an adolescent who filmed a joke a couple of tyktok often called Ding Dong with two buddies round 3am on Saturday, in accordance with court docket data and native authorities.
Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Service responded to a report on resident photographs throughout housebreaking and located two youngsters with firearms, workplace said in a press release. One of many youngsters, 18 -year -old Michael Bosworth, Jr., later dies from his wounds. The second particular person is handled for minor accidents and a 3rd celebration within the group is unhurt, Sheriff mentioned. The 2 buddies with Mr. Bosworth had been below 18 years previous.
The youngsters had been within the neighborhood to make a video of Tiktok, one in every of them instructed investigators in a declaration filed at Spotsylvania Circuit Courtroom. The Ding Dong shelter includes ringing a bell or fucking entrance doorways of homes earlier than escapes, and has develop into a well-liked fodder for social media movies.
“The minors suggested that this was one thing folks do to placed on a tyktok,” the assertion says.
The group had knocked on a number of doorways within the space, one of many youngsters instructed Detective and added that they weren’t accustomed to the neighborhood. They fled the residence once they had been shot, in accordance with the declaration. At the very least one video displaying that the kids who make the joke continues to be on one of many buddies’ telephones, the assertion mentioned.
Authorities have arrested the 27 -year -old Tyler Chase Butler of Spotsylvania County, on Tuesday on a second -degree homicide, malicious wounding and the usage of firearms when committing a criminal offense, the sheriff service mentioned. He was held on the Rappahannock Regional Jail for any connection, the announcement mentioned.
Bosworth was a senior on the Massaponax Excessive College in Frederixburg, Washington, the highschool, which was to carry its commencement for the aged on Could 13, despatched a message to the college neighborhood that the councilors could be accessible to assist grieving college students.
Spotsylvania’s sheriff’s workplace spokesman, reached by telephone, declined to remark additional. The lawyer of G -N Butler didn’t instantly reply requests for remark. G. Ryan Mechafey, a neighborhood lawyer at Spotsylvania County, declined to remark, however mentioned he was scheduled for a preliminary listening to for June 18.
This type of joke has led to tragedy prior to now. In 2020, a person in California crashed right into a automotive of six youngsters, killing three of them after They played a similar joke on himS He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2023.
On Tuesday, a gaggle of scholars gathered on the Massaponax Excessive College soccer discipline to recollect their classmate, in accordance with video Shared by an Instagram account led by faculty college students. They shared reminiscences of Mr. Bosworth and wrote messages on balloons earlier than being launched at sundown.
Jonathan Wolfe and Michael Levenson Contributes to reporting. Susan Okay. Beachi contributed to analysis.
