Law enforcement led a procession of vehicles following the funeral on Saturday as loved ones prepared to lay Julian Guzman to rest.
HOUSTON — Several loved ones gathered for 11-year-old Julian Guzman’s funeral Saturday afternoon, and many wore shirts with Guzman’s face on them to pay tribute to a life taken far too soon.
Family and friends showed up in large numbers, packing the parking lot of the funeral home in Houston’s East Downtown area. One woman was seen carrying angel wings inside the building.
Houston police said Guzman was shot and killed last weekend while playing the doorbell prank known as “ding dong ditch.” Investigators said the suspect, 42-year-old Gonzalo Leon Jr., was waiting outside and shot Guzman in the back as he was running away. Leon Jr. has been charged with murder.
According to an online obituary, Guzman “will always be remembered for his bright smile, his playful spirit, and the joy he brought into every room he entered.”
The love for Guzman is evident by a makeshift memorial at the shooting site that continues to grow. Heartfelt messages, balloons and candles are added daily.
Next to the funeral home on Navigation Blvd., a pop-up market was taking place on Saturday. Vendors told KHOU 11 that they discussed amongst themselves that they should do what they could to be cognizant of Guzman’s family being nearby.
“We were told to be respectful because of the funeral across the street, not to play music, not to be too loud,” vendor Karen Guajardo said. “Everyone is being respectful.”
Guajardo said she and many others in the community have been heartbroken over Guzman’s death. Her thoughts are with Guzman’s family following what she believes was a senseless killing.
“It’s very sad. No one should lose their life over that,” Guajardo said. “My deepest condolences. I have children, and I feel for them.”
Vendor Alyssa Valdez shared the same sentiment.
“It’s just so tragic. There are no words for it, to have a life be taken away that young,” Valdez said. “I have a lot of family that knew the little boy personally, and with the Hispanic community, since the little boy is Hispanic, it touches home.”
Following the funeral, law enforcement officers led a procession away from the funeral home, as loved ones prepared to lay Guzman to rest. Among the vehicles in the procession were lowriders, which Guzman “had a big fascination” for, according to his obituary.
The suspect in the shooting, Leon Jr., is behind bars on a $1 million bond. He is expected to return to court in October.
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A military judge sentenced Pvt. Deron Gordon to over six years in prison for sexually assaulting a college student.
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who sexually assaulted a college student in the barracks in 2024 was sentenced to more than six years in prison Friday.
A military judge sentenced Pvt. Deron Gordon, 20, to six years and three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to one specification each of sexual assault, abusive sexual contact and as a principal to indecent recording.
Gordon was previously charged with additional crimes, but those were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Gordon is one of four soldiers who were charged in in connection to the sexual assault of a college student, who is now a commissioned Army officer, in October 2024.
When Gordon pleaded guilty, he said that he and another soldier followed the college student into a bedroom after she had been drinking with them. He said she was unstable walking into the room and when they went inside she was on the bed and not responsive.
Gordon said he and the other soldier each proceeded to have sex with her and they filmed each other sexually assaulting her on Snapchat.
As part of his sentencing, Gordon will be reduced in rank to E-1 and dishonorably discharged from the Army.
Gordon will serve the remainder of his sentencing at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Once he is released, Gordon must register as a sex offender.
The three other soldiers who were charged in the incident are at different points in the legal process, and their cases are being treated separately.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Additional resources are available on the Washington State Department of Health's website.
KING 5’s Conner Board contributed to this report.
