‘Who Sent You?’: Missouri Homeowner Shoots at Teens Playing ‘Ding Dong Ditch,’ Chases Them Down In Car and Holds Them at Gunpoint on Ground, Authorities Say

A game of “ding-dong-ditch” for four teenagers turned into a terrifying encounter with a Missouri homeowner who now stands accused of robbing and holding the teens at gunpoint after they visited his house. The group was playing the game in a residential neighborhood in Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday, Jan. 19, when they approached the home of 40-year-old Melvin Rankin, according to a probable cause statement obtained by Centre Daily Times. Melvin Rankin, 40, was charged with six felonies after robbing and holding a group of teenagers at gunpoint who came to his home to play ‘ding-dong-ditch.’ (Photo: Greene County Jail) The teens rang Rankin’s doorbell once, and then, after seeing Rankin look out his window, they rang it again. At that point, they heard the garage door open and a gunshot sound from inside the garage. They fled the home and drove away from the area, but Rankin, still armed, pursued the group in his own car. After the teens reached a dead end, Rankin pulled up next to them, pointed his gun at their car, and ordered them to get out of their vehicle. While still holding them at gunpoint, authorities stated that he forced them to lie on...