Teenager Dies After TikTok Prank Goes Horribly Wrong
ArchiveFirst published May 10, 2025. It may not reflect later developments.
Michael Bosworth Jr., 18, was just hours away from prom when a TikTok prank ended in tragedy. The high school senior from Virginia was participating in the viral “ding-dong ditch” trend — ringing doorbells and running away — when he was fatally shot.
According to authorities, Bosworth and two younger teens were filming the prank near McKenzie Lane at 3 a.m. They had already visited a few houses before knocking on the door of 27-year-old Tyler Chase Butler.
As the teens ran to hide, Butler opened fire. Bosworth was shot in the torso and later died at the hospital. Another teen was grazed and treated for minor injuries.
Police initially believed they were responding to a burglary. Butler has since been charged with second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm.
One teen told investigators, “We weren’t there to steal anything.”
