An 11-year-old boy uttered three alarming words following the alleged shooting of his father, who was killed for confiscating his Nintendo games console.
Douglas Dietz, 42, was discovered dead with a gunshot wound to the head in a tranquil neighborhood in Duncannon Borough, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. His son, Clayton, now faces charges of homicide.
According to court documents, Mrs. Dietz awoke to a loud noise and a smell resembling fireworks in the bedroom, only to have the boy enter and exclaim, “Daddy’s dead.”
Upon arrival at the scene, state troopers reported hearing Clayton confess to his mother, “I killed Daddy.”
Celebrating his 11th birthday, Clayton allegedly became furious after his father took away his Nintendo Switch a few days prior. The court affidavit revealed that Mrs. Dietz had been beside her husband in bed and only realized the situation upon discovering blood on the sheets when she turned on the lights.
As she awaited emergency services, Clayton entered the room shouting while Mrs. Dietz attempted to perform CPR on Douglas. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead by ambulance personnel at the scene.
During an interview, Mrs. Dietz mentioned that the couple, who adopted Clayton in 2018, had sung Happy Birthday to him the night before. However, the situation escalated when they instructed him to go to bed.
Reportedly, the father stored the family’s gun in a secured drawer, but Clayton admitted to finding the key, unlocking it, and searching for his Nintendo Switch.
Clayton confessed to removing the gun from the safe, loading it with bullets, walking to his father’s side of the bed, pulling back the safety notch, and firing it at him.
The 11-year-old allegedly stated to the police that he had not considered the consequences of shooting his father. Clayton was apprehended on the day of the incident and charged with criminal homicide, with a preliminary court hearing scheduled for January 22.
Local reports indicated that the parents had reached out to Clayton’s school in the months preceding the incident, seeking assistance for their son, who has autism and was displaying increasingly uncontrollable behaviors, including sexual harassment, physical aggression, and theft.
Despite their pleas, the parents were reportedly denied help as Clayton did not meet the criteria. A neighbor described the Dietz family as “very kind” and mentioned they were surprised by the tragic turn of events.
Following the shooting, Susquenita School District in Perry County released a statement offering support to students affected by the incident, acknowledging the impact such events can have on the community.