A ding-dong-ditch prank on W. Bunkerhill Street in Boise ended with a 15-year-old boy shot and a 45-year-old homeowner booked into jail on a felony charge. Boise police said the shooting happened Saturday night, after the homeowner chased down the group of boys responsible for the prank and opened fire.
Police responded around 7:15 p.m. Saturday to a report of a juvenile problem in the area, according to KBOI / CBS2. Investigators determined the incident began when a group of boys, including the victim, rang the doorbell and ran at the home of someone they knew, a classic ding-dong-ditch prank that police say quickly turned dangerous.
Police said evidence indicates that when the boys returned to the home, Darin Young, who lived at the residence, chased after them and fired a gun, striking the 15-year-old. The station notes the account comes from police, who say the evidence points to that sequence of events.
Teen Rushed to Hospital by Friends, Not Ambulance
Rather than waiting for emergency responders, other juveniles loaded the wounded teen into a personal vehicle and drove him to the hospital themselves, per the same account. His injuries were initially considered serious or critical, though doctors did not believe them to be life-threatening, the report states.
No other boys involved in the prank were reported injured. Residents of the home called police to report the shooting, setting off the investigation that led to Young's arrest.
Felony Charge Carries Up to 15 Years
Young was booked into the Ada County Jail on a felony aggravated battery charge. Under Idaho law, aggravated battery is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a term not to exceed 15 years, according to the Idaho State Legislature.
No further details have been released about the investigation, and it remains unclear what, if any, response Young has offered to the allegation. The incident has shaken a quiet residential stretch of Boise, where a routine prank between kids who knew each other escalated into gunfire and a felony booking in a matter of minutes.
