Man shoots at group playing ‘ding dong ditch,’ then holds them at gunpoint, MO cops say
As a group of four juveniles finished a meal at IHOP, they decided to embark on a game of ”ding dong ditch” in a Missouri neighborhood, police said.
However, the prank carried out on one Springfield home on Jan. 19 had the group speeding away from an armed man, police said in a probable cause statement filed on Jan. 20.
They approached the home that unknowingly belonged to Melvin Rankin, a registered sex offender, and rang the doorbell, police said. Then, they observed Rankin looking out the window, so they rang the doorbell a second time.
The garage door began to open, and the juveniles heard a gunshot from inside the garage, according to court documents. They fled to their car and started to speed off.
Rankin, with a gun in hand, got into his own vehicle and began to follow them, police said.
The group tried to evade the man, but he caught them coming to a stop at a dead end, according to court documents. He drove up next to them, pointed his gun at the group and ordered them to get out of the car, police said.
He forced them to lie on the ground as he pointed his gun at the back of one juvenile’s head, according to police. He asked them, “Who sent you?” and “Where’s the gun?” the probable cause statement said.
When the juveniles said they apologized and said they were playing “ding dong ditch,” he let them go, court documents said. However, police said he stole the keys to their vehicle.
Rankin was arrested Jan. 20 and charged with unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and robbery, according to court records.
His attorney information was not listed.
Rankin is currently being held in Greene County Jail without bond, according to court records.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Man shoots at group playing ‘ding dong ditch,’ then holds them at gunpoint, MO cops say."
