Houston man charged with murder after 11-year-old shot while ringing doorbells

A 42-year-old man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy who was ringing doorbells in a Houston neighborhood, according to officials.

The suspect, identified as Gonzalo Leon Jr., was arrested by Houston Police Department SWAT officers and booked into the Harris County Jail, the Houston Police Department said on Tuesday. He is charged with murder.

The victim, Julian Guzman, was fatally shot on Saturday night while ringing doorbells in the 9700 block of Racine Street, according to police.

A witness told investigators that Guzman had run from a house after knocking just before suffering a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead the following day.

Investigators initially questioned and released one person at the scene before identifying Leon as the suspect. Police said the Harris County District Attorney’s Office approved the charge after detectives presented their findings.

In a message on a GoFundMe page, Guzman’s mother described her son as loving, kind, and always smiling.

“They stole my little boy, my baby, at such a young age. We had a whole life ahead of us. He didn’t deserve this,” she wrote, adding, “I will forever love you my boy. You’re gone but never forgotten.”