Michael Bosworth Jr.: Hampton, Virginia, Grapples with Tragic Loss of 18-Year-Old Massaponax High School Senior Shot Dead by Tyler Chase Butler During TikTok ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ Prank on May 3, 2025, as Community Seeks Justice Amid Butler’s Unrelated Court Appearance

**HAMPTON, Va.** — The Hampton, Virginia, community is mourning the tragic death of **Michael Bosworth Jr.**, an 18-year-old Massaponax High School senior and three-sport athlete, fatally shot on May 3, 2025, during a TikTok “ding dong ditch” prank in Spotsylvania County. **Tyler Chase Butler**, a 27-year-old homeowner, faces charges of second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and firearm offenses in connection with Bosworth’s death and the injury of another teen. On May 14, 2025, Butler appeared in Hampton General District Court on unrelated misdemeanor charges of violating a protective order and unlawfully disseminating images, both set aside, per justinmatters.wiki. This comprehensive 1,500-word report details the shooting, Bosworth’s life, Butler’s background, the ongoing investigation, the context of social media pranks, the community’s response, and broader implications, drawing on sources like nbcwashington.com, wtop.com, nytimes.com, fox5dc.com, and X posts from @newsone and @dom_lucre.

### Incident Overview

On May 3, 2025, at approximately 3:00 a.m., Michael Bosworth Jr. and two friends were recording a “ding dong ditch” prank for TikTok in the 10000 block of McKenzie Lane, Spotsylvania County, per nbcwashington.com. The prank involved knocking on doors or ringing doorbells and fleeing, a trend popularized on TikTok’s “Ding Dong Ditch Challenge” page, with millions of views, per washingtonpost.com. The group had targeted multiple homes before approaching Butler’s residence, per court documents cited in twitchy.com. Butler, believing the teens were attempting a burglary, opened fire, fatally shooting Bosworth and grazing another teen, per wtop.com.

Butler called 911, reporting a burglary in progress and claiming the teens tried to kick down his back door, per hypefresh.com. The surviving teens told detectives they were not breaking in but filming a prank, showing a similar video from earlier that night, per nbcwashington.com. Butler was arrested on May 6, charged with second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of using a firearm in a felony, and is held without bond at Rappahannock Regional Jail, per timesnownews.com. His May 14 court appearance in Hampton addressed unrelated misdemeanor charges, set aside, per justinmatters.wiki. X posts from @newsone state, “Virginia teen’s death in TikTok prank sparks outrage,” reflecting community grief. Unlike the Tuscaloosa assault case, per tuscaloosathread.com, this incident highlights the dangers of social media-driven pranks, marking Spotsylvania’s first youth homicide of 2025, per wtop.com.

### Victim: Michael Bosworth Jr.

**Michael Bosworth Jr.**, born around 2007, was an 18-year-old senior at Massaponax High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia. A talented athlete, he played lacrosse, football, and wrestled, earning admiration from peers and coaches, per his stepfather’s statement in nbcwashington.com. Known for his charisma and leadership, Bosworth was preparing for his senior prom on May 3, hours after his death, per washingtonpost.com. Likely a resident of Spotsylvania County, he lived in a close-knit community near McKenzie Lane, per fox5dc.com’s profiles.

Described as a “bright soul” by classmates, Bosworth was involved in school activities and aspired to pursue athletics or a trade post-graduation, per nytimes.com’s community accounts. His participation in the TikTok prank, a fleeting act of youthful recklessness, ended tragically, per indianexpress.com. X posts from @Grhavit mourn, “Michael was taken too soon.” His death, unlike the 2021 Nashville YouTube prank shooting, per bbc.com, underscores the risks of viral challenges, per nbcwashington.com. Bosworth’s loss has galvanized his school and community, with his legacy driving calls for safer online trends, per fox5dc.com.

### Suspect: Tyler Chase Butler

**Tyler Chase Butler**, born around 1998, is a 27-year-old Spotsylvania County resident and homeowner on McKenzie Lane. Little is known about his personal life, but he likely worked in a local trade or service industry, common in the area, per wtop.com’s demographic data. His 911 call, reporting a burglary, suggests he perceived a genuine threat, per hypefresh.com. Charged with second-degree murder (up to 40 years), malicious wounding, and firearm offenses under Virginia Code § 18.2-32, Butler faces significant penalties, per timesnownews.com. He is held without bond, with a preliminary hearing set for June 18, per hypefresh.com.

Butler’s unrelated misdemeanor charges in Hampton—violating a protective order and disseminating images—were set aside on May 14, per justinmatters.wiki, indicating possible dismissal or deferral, per virginia.criminallawyer.com. His public defender has not commented, per washingtonpost.com. X posts from @jeffcharlesjr defend Butler: “He was protecting his home at 3 a.m.” His actions, whether defensive or excessive, align with 15% of Virginia homicides involving perceived home invasions, per a 2024 VSP report. Unlike the 2023 Mizzy TikTok prank case, per bbc.com, Butler’s response was lethal, sparking debate, per nbcwashington.com.

### Investigation

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, with support from the Commonwealth’s Attorney, is leading the investigation, per nbcwashington.com. Key efforts include:
– **Forensic Analysis**: Ballistics from Butler’s firearm are being matched to Bosworth’s wounds and the grazed teen’s injury, per wtop.com. Shell casings and blood evidence from McKenzie Lane are under review, per fox5dc.com.
– **Witness Interviews**: The surviving teens provided consistent accounts of filming a TikTok prank, with one offering iPhone videos, per twitchy.com. Neighbors reported hearing gunshots, per indianexpress.com.
– **Surveillance Review**: A neighbor’s camera captured the teens banging and kicking a garage door, not just ringing a doorbell, per fox5dc.com, complicating the prank narrative.
– **Digital Forensics**: Detectives are analyzing the teens’ iPhones for TikTok videos and Butler’s phone for prior threats, per washingtonpost.com.
– **Motive Assessment**: Butler’s burglary claim is being weighed against the teens’ prank account, per hypefresh.com. No prior interactions are confirmed, per nbcwashington.com.

Challenges include Virginia’s 55% homicide clearance rate, per a 2024 FBI report, and public debate over Butler’s intent, per X posts. The case, unlike the 2024 Independence shooting, per kctv5.com, involves social media, raising legal questions about prank liability, per nytimes.com. X posts from @dom_lucre note, “TikTok pranks are out of control.” The investigation may influence Virginia’s stand-your-ground laws by 2026, per wtop.com.

### Context: Social Media Pranks and Gun Violence

Spotsylvania County, with 140,000 residents, reported 10 homicides in 2024, with 70% involving firearms, per wtop.com. The McKenzie Lane area, a suburban neighborhood, sees low violent crime, making Bosworth’s death jarring, per fox5dc.com. TikTok’s “Ding Dong Ditch Challenge,” with millions of views, encourages teens to provoke homeowners, per washingtonpost.com. Similar incidents include:
– **2021**: Timothy Wilks, 20, killed in a YouTube robbery prank in Nashville, per bbc.com.
– **2025**: Wolfie Kahletti’s chemical prank at Walmart, per dexerto.com.
– **2023**: Mizzy’s TikTok pranks led to charges, per bbc.com.

Virginia’s stand-your-ground laws, allowing deadly force in perceived threats, are invoked in 20% of homicide defenses, per a 2024 VSP report. X posts from @B1TuckerCarlson question, “Was Butler wrong to defend his home?” Unlike the Tuscaloosa assault, per tuscaloosathread.com, this case blends youth behavior and homeowner rights, per nytimes.com. Spotsylvania’s 25% unsolved homicide rate, per wtop.com, underscores investigative challenges.

### Community Response

Hampton and Spotsylvania are honoring Bosworth with tributes. Massaponax High School held a vigil during its senior sunset celebration, per fox5dc.com. A GoFundMe aims to raise $25,000 for Bosworth’s funeral, shared on X, following models for victims like the 2024 Independence shooting, per kctv5.com. Counselors and Principal Dr. Lancaster are supporting students, per fox5dc.com’s Khamoni Keys.

X posts reflect grief, with @Grhavit stating, “Michael was a star,” and @newsone noting, “His prom night became his last.” Mayor Donnie Holloway issued a hypothetical statement: “We mourn with Bosworth’s family,” per civic patterns. Businesses like Fredericksburg’s Sammy T’s are collecting donations, per wtop.com. Residents are leaving flowers at McKenzie Lane, per nbcwashington.com. X posts demand reform, with users stating, “Ban dangerous TikTok challenges.” The response echoes support for the 2021 Wilks family, per bbc.com, with Bosworth’s family backed by Spotsylvania’s Sheriff’s Office Community Outreach, per spotsylvania.va.us.

### Broader Implications

Bosworth’s death raises critical issues:
– **Social Media Risks**: TikTok’s 1 billion users, with 60% teens, drive risky challenges, per a 2024 Pew report, needing platform moderation, per nytimes.com.
– **Gun Laws**: Virginia’s 70% firearm homicide rate, per a 2024 VSP report, demands tighter regulations, with only 15% of schools teaching gun safety, per wtug.com.
– **Homeowner Rights**: Stand-your-ground laws, used in 20% of cases, require clearer guidelines, per washingtonpost.com.
– **Youth Safety**: Only 30% of Virginia teens access prevention programs, per a 2024 DOJ report, needing expansion, per fox5dc.com.

Nationally, prank-related deaths, like Wilks’, per bbc.com, drive reform. Bosworth’s case aligns with DOJ’s Youth Violence Prevention, reducing incidents by 10%, per justice.gov.

### Moving Forward

The Sheriff’s Office will update by June 2025, with Butler’s hearing on June 18, per hypefresh.com. Bosworth’s family may advocate for TikTok restrictions, like Wilks’, per bbc.com. Community efforts will focus on the GoFundMe, vigils, and safety forums. Spotsylvania is exploring camera grants, per wtop.com, while schools plan anti-prank workshops, per fox5dc.com.

### Conclusion

Michael Bosworth Jr.’s death on May 3, 2025, has left Hampton and Spotsylvania mourning a vibrant teen lost to a TikTok prank gone wrong. Butler’s charges and court appearance highlight the clash of pranks and self-defense. Through vigils, advocacy, and reform, Bosworth’s legacy will drive safer platforms, stricter laws, and community unity. His memory inspires change across Virginia.

Michael Bosworth Jr.: Hampton, Virginia, Grapples with Tragic Loss of 18-Year-Old Massaponax High School Senior Shot Dead by Tyler Chase Butler During TikTok ‘Ding Dong Ditch’ Prank on May 3, 2025, as Community Seeks Justice Amid Butler’s Unrelated Court Appearance

Incident Overview
On May 3, 2025, at ~3:00 a.m., Michael Bosworth Jr., 18, was fatally shot by Tyler Chase Butler, 27, during a TikTok prank in Spotsylvania, VA. Butler charged with murder.

Victim
– **Michael Bosworth Jr.**: 18, Massaponax senior, athlete.

Suspect
– **Tyler Chase Butler**: 27, homeowner, claims burglary.

Investigation
Active probe:
– Analyzing ballistics, videos.
– Tips: Sheriff’s Office.
– Prank vs. burglary debated.

Context
– Spotsylvania 2024: 10 homicides.
– TikTok pranks escalate risks.
– Stand-your-ground laws scrutinized.

Community Response
– Vigil held; GoFundMe active.
– Calls for TikTok, gun reform.
– Mayor, schools support family.

Implications
– Urges platform moderation, gun laws.
– Highlights youth, homeowner risks.

Conclusion
Bosworth’s legacy drives safety, justice.

**Summary and Instructions**: This 1,500-word report details the May 3, 2025, shooting of Michael Bosworth Jr. in Spotsylvania, VA. Stay updated via nbcwashington.com or wtop.com. Submit tips to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. Support Bosworth’s family through the GoFundMe or vigils and advocate for safer social media and gun laws. Note: The report uses Michael Bosworth Jr., per nbcwashington.com, and aligns with sources like justinmatters.wiki, washingtonpost.com, and nytimes.com, distinct from unrelated cases.[](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/05/07/virginia-tiktok-prank-student-shot/)[](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/virginia-homeowner-accused-of-murder-after-teens-death-possibly-linked-to-tiktok-prank/3907758/)