11-Year-Old Charged as Adult in Father's Shooting Death

An 11-year-old boy charged as an adult with criminal homicide appeared in handcuffs at a Pennsylvania courthouse on Thursday, facing allegations that he fatally shot his adoptive father in their home last month after the man confiscated his video game console.

Clayton Dietz was escorted into the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield by probation officers for a hearing related to the January 13 shooting of his 42-year-old adoptive father, Douglas Dietz, at the family's residence in Duncannon Borough, north of Harrisburg. The incident occurred on Clayton's birthday, following a family celebration that extended past midnight. According to court documents, Douglas and his wife, Jillian, had told Clayton to go to bed after taking away his Nintendo Switch as a disciplinary measure. Upset, Clayton searched for the console, which his parents had placed in a bedroom safe alongside a revolver.

Authorities allege that Clayton located the safe's key in a drawer, unlocked it, removed the unloaded firearm, loaded it with ammunition, and approached his father's side of the bed where Douglas was sleeping. He then pulled back the hammer and fired a single shot into Douglas's head around 3:20...