A Massaponax High School senior was making a TikTok video to document a game of “ding-dong ditch” when he was shot and killed by a resident in the 2700 block of McKenzie Lane in Spotsylvania County early Saturday morning, according to statements from another teen who was also shot.
The juvenile, who was interviewed by Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office Detective Earle Swift at Mary Washington Hospital following the 3 a.m. incident in the River Club subdivision, said he and two others were fleeing from the residence to hide when the resident began firing.
Michael Bosworth Jr., an 18-year-old football and lacrosse player at Massaponax, was hit in the torso and later died at Mary Washington. One teen was grazed by a bullet and another was unharmed.
An unnamed Spotsylvania County resident is being investigated on possible murder charges, according to the search warrant, which authorities obtained to view video on the juvenile’s cellphone. The teen told Swift there was at least one “ding-dong ditch” video on his phone.
“Ding-dong ditch” is a prank that involves someone ringing a doorbell and running away, leaving no one at the doorstep when the resident answers. A search of TikTok reveals a page on the social media site called “The Ding Dong Ditch Challenge,” with scores of videos, many with views in the thousands.
According to the search warrant, detectives were searching for videos, photographs or any type of communication or reference to the game on the teen’s phone.
The juvenile told Swift that others were engaging in the prank and uploading the videos to TikTok. He said that he and his friends had pulled the prank on a couple of other homes in River Club, although he was not familiar with the neighborhood.
Detectives stated in the search warrant that they were seeking the cellphone to “further the criminal investigation of the shooting and murder of the other [teenager].”
The initial 911 call reported an incident in which three individuals allegedly attempted to break into a home in the subdivision by kicking in the back door, Sheriff’s Office Capt. Charles Carey said Saturday.
The sheriff’s office initially claimed that the resident went outside and confronted the alleged attempted intruders as they were coming from the back of the home, shooting two of them.
On Saturday, Massaponax Principal William Lancaster III sent a message to the school community informing students and parents of Bosworth’s death. Lancaster said he was “saddened” to share the news and that he reached out to Bosworth’s family to offer support.
Lancaster encouraged parents and guardians to be aware of how their children handle grief stemming from Bosworth’s death. He shared the division’s website, which provides mental health resources.
When students returned to school on Monday, additional counseling and division support team members were available to assist them and the staff.
