Tyler Chase Butler Opened Fire on Teens Who Were Recording a TikTok Prank on His Porch

On May 3, 2025, 18-year-old high school student Michael Bosworth Jr. was shot and killed by homeowner Tyler Chase Butler when he and two friends rang his bell as part of an alleged prank, per NBC News. The shooting happened in a neighborhood in Spotsylvania County, Va., and a bullet grazed one of the other two teenagers involved in the prank. But what happened to Tyler Chase Butler after the crime and what are his official charges?

Following the shooting, NBC4 Washington reported that Butler told authorities he thought the three teens were trying to break into his home. As a result, he opened fire. The two surviving teenagers claimed that they were filming a TikTok video as part of a prank. They even reportedly showed authorities video evidence of a similar prank they had done earlier in the evening. Now, Butler faces serious charges.

According to an updated press release that the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office shared to its official Facebook page, "On 05/06/2025, Tyler Chase Butler (27) of Spotsylvania County was arrested for Murder 2nd degree, Malicious Wounding and 2 counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. He is being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail on no bond." Prior to that, the press release said that it was an "ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident."

Neighbors in the area of the incident told Fox 5 in Washington, D.C. that they heard several gunshots ring out at the time of the shooting. A resident shared with the outlet that the boys had tried a similar prank on other houses in the area. Because Butler thought they were trying to do something much more nefarious, he opened fire.

The TikTok door knock challenge that is described as the prank the teens pulled on multiple homes, including Butler's, is like what many remember as ding dong ditch. The idea is that you ring a doorbell and run away before the homeowner or resident can see you. They then open the door to no one and you can laugh while hiding nearby.

It's a harmless enough prank that is made more exciting by the fact that kids today have smartphones where they can record the reactions of unsuspecting residents. Some teens who participate in the door challenge might engage in more destructive behavior, like aggressively banging on a front door or kicking it roughly. In these instances, the TikTok door challenge is less harmless. it can become dangerous for both the prankers and those being pranked.

A video of a similar challenge from December 2023 was shared on X (formerly Twitter), though in this video, it is referred to as the door kick challenge. The video doesn't result in an escalated crime like the one that reportedly happened at Butler's home, however.