‘Just Tried to Run in the Crib’: Black Virginia Man Who Fatally Shot Teen During 3 a.m. ‘Ding-Dong Ditch’ Prank Found Guilty of Murder
A Virginia jury rejected a man’s self-defense claim after he shot a group of teenagers who scaled his 6-foot fence at 3 a.m. while he and his mother were home.
A Spotsylvania County Circuit Court jury convicted Tyler Butler of second-degree murder Thursday. He reportedly fired 10 rounds at 18-year-old Michael Bosworth Jr. on May 3, 2025. The teen and two friends ran into his yard to escape police after banging and kicking on a neighbor’s garage door.
One of the teens admitted that they were playing a prank based on the viral TikTok trend “Ding Dong Ditch.” The viral challenge calls for ringing doorbells and running away.
“The juvenile stated he and his friends had hit a couple of doors in the neighborhood,” court documents state. “The juvenile is not familiar with the neighborhood that they were in. The juvenile stated that they had to run to hide. The juvenile said as they were running from a residence, he and his friends were shot at.”
Two bullets struck Bosworth and Andre’us Wilson in the back. Bosworth later died from his injuries. The third teen, Braylon Richards, escaped unharmed. The jury also found Butler guilty of attempted second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Butler claimed he was afraid that the three teens were trying to break into his home.
What Happened on the Night of the Shooting
Surveillance footage shows the trio kicking and banging on a neighbor’s garage and even throwing a stick at the door, hiding and coming back and doing it again four or five times. They fled after seeing the light flicker on in the house that was 600 feet away from Butler’s home.
Fearing the homeowner had called the police, they ran through backyards in the area, ending up on the Butler family’s property.
Butler and his mother said they heard banging on their door and thought someone was attempting to break in. Butler then grabbed a gun and went to the front as the boys tried to run off through their gate. The surviving teen testified that they were already in the street when Butler shot at them.
Butler’s mother reportedly tried to convince him to come back inside before he fired his weapon. A doorbell camera captured the shooting, but it only showed Butler in the frame
“What the f*** is y’all on?” Butler reportedly yelled. He also threatened to “blow one of these [n-words] down, according to Fredericksburg Free Press.
He later said, “Lucky, I didn’t smoke one of you [n-words],” and “Some little [n-words] just tried to run in the crib,” the paper reports.
The mother called 911 saying she heard shots, and she was afraid, NBC Washington reports.
Butler’s Claim of Self-Defense Fails to Win
Investigators testified that there was no sign of forced entry or damage to the Butlers’ home.
Prosecutors also charged Butler with two counts of unlawfully discharging a firearm at an occupied dwelling. Two bullets from his gun entered two houses down the street. One of the bullets went through a second-story bedroom window and hit a headboard. Residents in those homes also testified during the three-day trial.
“The jury verdict reflects great care in their deliberations,” Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mehaffey said in a statement. “I am thankful for the professionalism exhibited by the trial team and by our law enforcement partners at the Sheriff’s Office. Murder is a trauma that does not end, but I pray the family of the deceased victim finds some solace in the jury’s verdict.”
The jury convicted Butler on all counts. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 30.