AN 11-year-old boy is facing a homicide charges after allegedly shooting and killing his father after he took his Nintendo Switch away.
The lifeless corpse of Douglas Dietz was discovered by his horrified wife on Tuesday morning at their home in Duncannon Borough, Pennsylvania.
Cops were called to the scene at 3.20am where they found the 42-year-old with a gunshot wound to his head, and son Clayton screaming at the top of his lungs.
The police say the child had a bloody lip and a contusion above his left eye, but no explanation has been offered how he got these injuries.
Clayton – who was adopted by the pair in 2018 – was reportedly shouting “Daddy’s dead”.
According to court documents, he was even at one point heard telling his crestfallen mother “I killed Daddy”.
Dietz’s wife told authorities she somehow slept through the ordeal but was awoken when a loud noise startled her.
She said there was a firework-like smell wafting through their bedroom and tried to nudge her husband.
When he didn’t respond, she said she could hear something dripping, thinking it was water.
Only when she switched the lights on did she realise that it was her beloved husband’s blood seeping through the sheets.
While making a desperate call to 911, she unsuccessfully attempted attempted to give her husband CPR.
To make matters worse, the murder was carried out on January 13 – Clayton’s 11th birthday.
In interview she told police the pair sung “Happy Birthday” shortly before going to bed just after midnight.
Clayton told investigators that he had a good day with his parents, but lost it at his dad when he was told “he needed to go to bed”.
In the build-up to the gruesome execution, Clayton’s father has locked his beloved console away in the family’s gun safe.
In a desperate attempt to get it back, Clayton said he retrieved the key from his father’s draw.
He then successfully unlocked the safe, where he found his console and an unloaded firearm.
Dietz’s wife told police she knew there was a gun safe in their bedroom, but said she did not know where the key was kept.
Clayton then allegedly admitted to “removing the gun from the safe, loading bullets into it and walking over to his father’s side of the bed” before “he pulled back the hammer and fired the gun at his father”.
Clayton – blinded by anger – said the red mist descended.
He told police officers he “had not thought about” what would happen after he fired the gun.
Clayton has since been arrested and charged with criminal homicide.
He was denied bail and is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on January 22.
Months prior to the shooting, the parents wrote to attempt Susquenita School District asking for help with their son.
In the letter, the parents said their son had been diagnosed with autism and was exhibiting escalating behavioural issues, including sexual harassment, physical aggression, and theft.
They pleaded for a referral for specialised help, but were denied because Clayton “did not meet the criteria”.
Susquenita School District later released a statement addressing the impact on the community.
“We recognize that in a close-knit community such as ours, events like this can affect our students,” the statement read.
“Our school counselors and psychologists are available to provide support to any students in need.”
