'I Was Mad': 11-Year-Old Charged With Shooting His Father After Being Told To Go To Bed, Court Records Say

An 11-year-old boy has been charged with homicide after police say he fatally shot his father while he slept in their Pennsylvania home, telling investigators he acted out of anger after being told to go to bed.

The case has drawn attention for both the child's age and the legal process that immediately placed him in the adult criminal system.

Early-Morning Shooting at Family Home

State police were called to a residence on South Market Street in Duncannon, Perry County, at about 3:20 a.m. on Tuesday after reports of a shooting.

Officers found 42-year-old Douglas Dietz unresponsive in bed with a gunshot wound to the head, according to court records.

According to reporting by PennLive, Dietz's wife told investigators she initially heard what sounded like fireworks and noticed what she thought was dripping water before realising it was blood. A revolver was later recovered from the floor of a connected closet.

Emergency services attempted lifesaving measures, but Dietz was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said there were no signs of forced entry, and attention quickly focused on the family's adopted son, who had turned 11 that day.

What Court Records Say Happened

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the boy told police he had spent Monday celebrating his birthday with his parents. After midnight, his father told him it was time to go to bed. The child said this made him angry.

Court documents state that after his parents went to sleep, the boy entered their bedroom, located a key to his father's gun safe and opened it while searching for his Nintendo Switch, which had previously been taken away.

Inside the safe, he found a revolver, loaded it with ammunition and walked to his father's side of the bed.

Investigators said the boy pulled back the hammer and fired a single shot. When asked what he thought would happen, he told police he was mad and had not thought about the consequences, according to court records.

Mother's Account and Emergency Response

The boy's mother, Jillian Dietz, told police she was asleep when she heard a loud bang and noticed a smell she compared to fireworks.

She attempted to wake her husband and initially thought she heard water dripping, only to realise it was blood.

Court records state that the child then entered the room and shouted that his father was dead before running downstairs screaming that he had killed him and that he hated himself.

Jillian Dietz and her father attempted CPR while calling 911. Police arrived minutes later and secured the scene.

Charges Filed Under Pennsylvania Law

The child, identified in court documents as Clayton Dietz, was charged with homicide. Under Pennsylvania law, juveniles aged 10 and older accused of homicide are automatically charged as adults, though defence attorneys may later seek to have the case transferred to juvenile court.

Authorities confirmed the boy was taken into custody and held at the Perry County Prison. Under federal regulations, juveniles must be housed separately from adult inmates, with no sight or sound contact.

Legal experts have described the statute as controversial because it places young defendants into the adult system before a judge can review whether juvenile court would be more appropriate.

Family Background and Ongoing Investigation

Court records indicate Clayton was adopted by Douglas and Jillian Dietz in 2018, when he was three years old. Public records show the family moved to Duncannon in 2023, where neighbours described them as quiet and private.

State police said the investigation remains ongoing, with additional forensic review and court proceedings expected in the coming weeks. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek to keep the case in adult court or consent to a transfer to the juvenile system.

The case has placed renewed focus on juvenile justice laws, gun storage practices and the rare but devastating instances of violent crime involving children, as authorities work to determine the next legal steps.