(C) Global News
DUNCANNON, PA — A tragic incident has shaken a small community in Pennsylvania, where an 11-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his father after his Nintendo Switch was confiscated.
According to local authorities and reports from The Guardian, the shooting occurred in the early hours of January 13, coincidentally on the boy's 11th birthday. State police responded to a 3:20 AM call reporting an unconscious male, only to find 42-year-old Douglas Dietz dead from a gunshot wound to the head in his bedroom.
The Trigger: A Dispute Over a Nintendo Switch Investigations revealed that the young suspect was deeply resentful after his father took away his gaming console and locked it inside a gun safe. While searching for the device, the boy managed to open the safe, discovering both the console and a firearm.
According to police reports, the child loaded the weapon, walked to his parents' bedside while they were asleep, and pulled the trigger. When asked by investigators if he understood the consequences of his actions, the boy simply replied, "I was angry. I didn't think about what would happen."
A Family in Shock The victim's wife told police she was awakened by a loud noise and the smell of gunpowder, initially mistaken for fireworks. Upon turning on the light, she discovered her husband bleeding and unresponsive. Moments later, her son reportedly shouted, "I killed Dad." Records indicate that the boy had been adopted by the couple in 2018.
Legal Proceedings and Social Concerns The 11-year-old has been charged with homicide and is currently being held at the Perry County Prison without bail. A court hearing is scheduled for January 22.
This case has once again ignited a fierce debate over gun safety and the ease with which minors can access firearms in the United States. Advocates for stricter gun control point to this tragedy as a harrowing example of the lethal combination of unsecured weapons and impulsive youth.
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