Boy, 11, Kills Father for Confiscating his Nintendo Switch

A Pennsylvania family’s birthday celebration turned into an unthinkable nightmare when an 11-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his sleeping father after going to retrieve a confiscated video game.

Authorities say Douglas Dietz, 42, was fatally shot in the head inside the family’s home in Duncannon in the early morning hours of January 13. His adopted son, Clayton Dietz, has been charged as an adult in connection with the killing — a case that has stunned even seasoned investigators.

According to court documents, the shooting happened on the very day Clayton turned 11.

Police were called to the home just after 3 a.m. following reports of gunfire. When officers arrived, they took the child into custody without incident.

An affidavit obtained by Us Weekly paints a chilling picture of what unfolded inside the house. Clayton allegedly told investigators that earlier that day, he’d had what he described as a “great day” with his parents as they celebrated his upcoming birthday. His adoptive mother, Jillian Dietz, reportedly told police the family stayed up until midnight to sing “Happy Birthday” to him.

But after the celebration ended, Clayton was told by his father to go to bed — something that allegedly made him angry.

Once his parents fell asleep, investigators say the boy went into their bedroom and found a key to his father’s gun safe. Clayton allegedly believed his Nintendo Switch, which had been taken away earlier as punishment, was locked inside. When he opened the safe, the game console wasn’t there.

Instead, police say he found a revolver and ammunition.

According to the affidavit, Clayton loaded the gun, walked to his father’s side of the bed, pulled back the hammer, and fired a single shot into his sleeping dad’s head.

Investigators say the boy later told police he was angry and hadn’t thought about what would happen if he pulled the trigger.

Jillian Dietz told authorities she woke up to a smell she initially thought was fireworks. She tried to wake her husband and thought she heard water dripping. When she turned on the light, she realized it was blood.

She told police that Clayton entered the bedroom through a closet connecting his room to theirs and said, “Daddy’s dead.” Moments later, he reportedly ran downstairs screaming, “My dad’s dead… I killed my dad. I hate myself.”

As Jillian attempted CPR on her husband, her father called 911.

Officers recovered the firearm at the scene and said Clayton openly spoke about finding the key, opening the safe, and loading the gun. In front of troopers, he allegedly admitted that he had planned to shoot someone — and identified that person as his father.

Under Pennsylvania law, children as young as 10 are automatically charged as adults in homicide cases, though defense attorneys often later seek to move cases into juvenile court.

Clayton is currently being held without bond at Perry County Prison. He was adopted by Jillian and Douglas Dietz in 2018, when he was just 3 years old.

Local reports say Clayton may be among the youngest defendants ever charged with homicide in the state — a heartbreaking distinction in a case that continues to raise difficult questions about anger, access to firearms, and family tragedy.