Homeowner fires gun believing door-knocking prank was home invasion attempt, police say

An overnight noise that someone believed to be a potential home invasion in Huron Township got the response of a gunshot.  

Police later determined that the knocking was a prank, with teenagers playing "ding dong, ditch" at multiple homes. 

The incident was reported by a 911 call about 3:35 p.m. Monday from the 2900 block of Rosewood in the Country Meadows Mobile Home Community, the Huron Township Police Department said. A resident of that address told dispatchers that they believed someone was trying to break into their house, and in response, they fired a shot from a handgun in the general direction. 

"They were unsure if anyone was hit with the shot," police said. 

The Huron Township Detective Bureau and Evidence Technician Unit investigated and determined that teenagers were out knocking on doors and playing "ding dong, ditch." The prank, known by that name and others, involves ringing or knocking on doors, then running away. 

There was no attempted entry at the home, police said. 

All of the juveniles involved in the prank were located and identified, police said, and none of them were injured. 

Three teens, one age 16 and two age 17, were issued citations for creating a disturbance. Their parents will be issued citations over parental responsibility, police said. The homeowner who fired the weapon was issued a citation for reckless discharge of a firearm. 

"This situation could have had a much worse outcome. While this is a kids' game that has been played for a long time, banging on a person's door in the middle of the night while they're sleeping can force them to make split-second decisions that can have deadly consequences," Huron Township Director of Public Safety Everette Robbins said. 

"Parents, please use this as an opportunity to talk to your kids about this type of behavior. A reminder that it is a parent's responsibility to know where their children are, especially during the overnight hours. It is also the responsibility of a gun owner to know exactly what they are pointing their weapon at and shooting towards. Hopefully, this can be a learning experience for all of us."