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An 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy appeared in court Thursday (February 19) to face criminal homicide charges after allegedly shooting and killing his adoptive father in their Duncannon home on January 13, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Clayton Dietz arrived at the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield just after noon, handcuffed and surrounded by probation officers for a 1:30 p.m. preliminary hearing that he waived. The boy was heard telling his mother that the handcuffs were hurting him, and he appeared to be tripping over himself while in court.
The shooting occurred early in the morning on Clayton's 11th birthday, shortly after midnight when his adoptive parents had sung happy birthday to him. Authorities responded to the South Market Street home around 3:20 a.m. and found Douglas Dietz, 42, dead from a gunshot wound to the head in the bedroom he shared with his wife.
According to court documents obtained by investigators, Clayton told police he found the keys to his parents' gun safe while searching for his Nintendo Switch, which had been confiscated. He admitted to removing a revolver from the safe, loading bullets into it, and walking over to his father's side of the bed before pulling back the hammer and firing the gun.
The boy's mother told police she was awakened by a loud noise and smelled something similar to fireworks. When she tried to nudge her husband, he didn't move. She turned on the light and realized what she thought was dripping water was actually blood. Clayton then entered the bedroom and shouted, "Daddy's dead," according to the affidavit.
During interviews with troopers, Clayton's mother said he told her, "I killed my dad. I hate myself." Investigators also reported hearing Clayton say, "I killed Daddy" while they spoke with him and his mother in the kitchen. An affidavit noted that Clayton had a large contusion above his left eye and a small cut near the middle of his lower lip.
When authorities asked Clayton what he thought would happen when he fired the revolver, he allegedly claimed he was mad and didn't consider the consequences. The court documents state that when his father told him he needed to go to bed, "he got mad at him."
Dave Wilson, Clayton's attorney, said his goal will be to "try and get him into juvenile court." The boy is currently being charged as an adult with criminal homicide and is being held at the Perry County Prison after being denied bail.
The case now moves forward as Wilson works to transfer the proceedings from adult criminal court to the juvenile justice system.