An 11-year-old boy has been charged with criminal homicide after allegedly shooting and killing his father while he slept early Tuesday morning.
Police responded to a home on South Market Street just after 3 a.m., where they found 42-year-old Douglas Deets dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators say the boy, Clayton William Deets, admitted to the shooting. According to court records, the incident followed a punishment in which his father had taken away his Nintendo Switch.
The boy reportedly told authorities he searched for the device, found keys to a safe, and instead discovered a revolver. He then loaded the weapon and shot his father while he was asleep.
When officers arrived, Clayton allegedly stated: “I shot somebody. I killed my daddy.”
The case is drawing added attention because the boy had celebrated his 11th birthday just hours before the incident.
⚖️ Under Pennsylvania law, children 10 and older charged with homicide are prosecuted as adults. Clayton is being held without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month.
