An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy is facing an unthinkable charge after authorities say he shot and killed his adoptive father — allegedly over a confiscated Nintendo Switch.
Clayton Dietz appeared in court Thursday in handcuffs, flanked by probation officers, as he faces criminal homicide charges as an adult in Perry County. The case stems from a shooting that happened in the early morning hours of Jan. 13 — which was also the child’s birthday — at the family’s home in Duncannon, just north of Harrisburg.
Prosecutors allege that Clayton shot his 42-year-old adoptive father, Douglas Dietz, while he was asleep in bed.
According to court documents, Clayton told police he had been searching for his Nintendo Switch after his parents took it away. Authorities say the gaming system had been locked inside a safe — the same safe that contained a revolver.
Investigators allege the boy found the keys, opened the safe, removed the firearm and loaded it. He then allegedly walked to his father’s side of the bed, pulled back the hammer and fired a single shot into his father’s head.
Police responded to the home around 3:20 a.m. and found Douglas Dietz suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Court documents state that when officers arrived, Clayton was screaming and allegedly told his mother, “Daddy’s dead,” and “I killed Daddy.”
When questioned by police afterward, authorities say Clayton admitted he was angry and did not think about what would happen when he pulled the trigger.
His mother reportedly told investigators she woke up to a loud noise and initially smelled something she described as similar to fireworks. When she tried to wake her husband and he didn’t respond, she noticed what she thought was water dripping — only to realize it was blood soaking through the sheets.
Clayton, who was adopted in 2018, is being charged as an adult in the case. The decision to prosecute him in adult court has already sparked debate in the community given his age.
The case remains ongoing.
This is truly sad because he looks like a good kid.
If you’re old enough to (1) have a gaming system; (2) find the keys and open the safe; (3) load a revolver and take it to shoot his father while he is asleep, then I’m pretty dang sure you know exactly what you’re doing. So yeah, he needs the adult punishment. Otherwise, he will just get out of juvenile detention at 18 and find somebody else to murder.