A Pennsylvania boy has been charged with criminal homicide after allegedly shooting his father to death during an argument over a Nintendo Switch console.
According to Global News, the incident occurred on the child’s 11th birthday after his father took away his gaming console and told him to go to bed. Police identified the boy as Clayton Dietz and said he later confessed to the killing, telling his mother, “I killed Daddy.”
The victim, Douglas Dietz, 42, was found in the master bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators stated that the father’s bedroom was connected to the boy’s room by a shared closet.
Incident Details and Family Background
Court documents reveal that Clayton was adopted by Douglas and his wife in 2018. On the night of the incident, the couple told their son to go to bed shortly after midnight. Moments later, a loud noise startled Douglas’s wife, who described smelling something like fireworks before realizing her husband had been shot.
When she tried to wake him, he was unresponsive — and that’s when the boy reportedly admitted to shooting his father.
Authorities said Clayton later confessed to finding the key to his father’s drawer, where the firearm was kept. He unlocked the safe, loaded the weapon, and walked to his father’s side of the bed before pulling the trigger.
Confession and Motive
Investigators said the boy told them he became angry after being told to go to bed and decided to retrieve his Nintendo Switch, which had been taken away as punishment.
In his statement, Clayton reportedly admitted that he had someone in mind whom he was going to shoot — identifying that person as his father. Police said the boy appeared calm during questioning and detailed exactly how he accessed and used the firearm.
Clayton Dietz is currently being held at the Perry County Prison, where he awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for January 22. Officials have not yet confirmed whether prosecutors plan to charge him as a juvenile or an adult.
The Perry County District Attorney’s Office has not released further comments on the case, citing the suspect’s age and ongoing investigation.
