An 18-year-old senior and three‑sport athlete at Massaponax High School, Michael Bosworth Jr. was killed in the early morning hours of May 3, 2025. Michael and two friends were reportedly doing a ding‑dong‑ditch prank they were filming for TikTok when they cut through the yard of a nearby home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, climbing a six‑foot fence to leave through a gate.

Residents of the property called 911 reporting a burglary in progress. The homeowner, 27‑year‑old Tyler Chase Butler, came outside with a gun and fired 10 shots as the teens fled. Michael was struck in the torso, taken to Mary Washington Hospital, and died of his injuries. One friend, a 17‑year‑old, was hit in the back and treated for minor injuries; the third teen was unhurt. The surviving teens later testified they never touched the house and were in the yard only seconds.

Butler was arrested May 6, 2025, and charged with second‑degree murder, malicious wounding, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony; he was held without bond. In late August 2026 the case went to trial and a jury returned guilty verdicts on second‑degree murder and related charges. Sentencing was scheduled for October 30, 2026.

Did anyone in the Fredericksburg area see or record the events that night or have information about the moments leading up to the shooting?