Boise, Idaho: Boy, 15, Shot After Ding Dong Ditch Prank, Man Arrested on Aggravated Battery Charge

A 15 year old boy was shot on Saturday evening in Boise after a doorbell prank at a home on West Bunkerhill Street, Boise Police said. A 45 year old man who lived at the home was arrested and charged with aggravated battery.

Police responded at about 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, to a report described as a juvenile problem on West Bunkerhill Street. At about the same time, Meridian Police responded to a local hospital after other juveniles brought the shot 15 year old there in a private vehicle, according to the police account.

The injuries of the boy were first considered serious or critical but were not believed to be life threatening. He is expected to recover, and his injuries are serious. Police do not name him, and this article does not either. He is a minor.

What police say happened

The investigation showed the incident began when a group of boys, including the boy who was shot, had ding dong ditched at a home of a person known to them, Boise Police said. The prank is simple: knock or ring, then run.

Evidence indicates that when the boys returned to the home, the resident, Darin Young, 45, chased after them and fired a gun, striking the 15 year old, police said. Young was arrested on the aggravated battery charge and booked into the Ada County Jail.

The charge is an allegation. Young is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the case now moves through the Idaho courts.

Two calls, one shooting

The shape of the evening is in the two responses. Boise officers went to the street where the shots were fired. Meridian officers went to a hospital, because the boys who were with the victim drove him there themselves instead of waiting at the scene.

That split is why the first reports read the way they do: a juvenile problem call in Boise, a shooting victim arriving at a hospital in Meridian, and one investigation joining the two. Police have not published how many shots were fired, what kind of gun was used, or whether Young has appeared in court yet, and this article does not guess at any of those points.

The Orbit Post will update this article in place if police release new facts or the court record changes.