A Texas homeowner is facing felony charges after opening fire on three teenagers who rang his doorbell and fled as part of a viral TikTok challenge.
Damon Wolfe, 58, of Frisco, was arrested August 7 and charged with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony, according to the Frisco Police Department.
The incident took place late at night on July 28, when Wolfe reported hearing loud banging on his door around 10:50 p.m. Police say he then ran outside and fired at a vehicle as the teens sped away.
Responding officers later located the teens’ car, which had three bullet holes. At first, the boys claimed they had been randomly shot at while driving elsewhere. They eventually admitted they had been participating in a “ding-dong ditch” prank — repeatedly knocking on doors and fleeing — when Wolfe fired.
Police Chief’s Warning
Frisco Police Chief David Shilson condemned both sides of the incident, calling it “completely senseless and avoidable.”
“Parents please talk to your kids about the dangers of participating in these types of TikTok challenges. The teens involved in this case are very fortunate they were not shot and killed or seriously injured,” Shilson said.
He also warned homeowners:
“It is important to understand that there are legal and criminal consequences for running outside and shooting at a vehicle fleeing the scene. The bullets fired in this offense could have easily struck neighbors’ houses and had deadly consequences.”
Shilson added that the minors would not be facing charges, since there was no property damage to Wolfe’s door.
Legal Consequences
If convicted, Wolfe faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
The case echoes a 2023 California tragedy, when a man named Anurag Chandra was convicted of murder after ramming a car carrying six teens who had ding-dong ditched his home. Three of the boys were killed in the crash.
A Dangerous Trend
Law enforcement officials say the rise of social-media “challenges” like ding-dong ditch pranks is colliding with a tense environment where homeowners are on edge.
“It’s just a different time today,” Chief Shilson said. “Homeowners don’t know how people will respond — and none of this is worth it.”
