DUNCANNON. NEWS EIGHT’S A-J SISSON IS LIVE WITH THE LATEST. SUSAN, 11 YEAR OLD CLAYTON WILLIAM DIETZ, JUST HOURS AFTER THE CLOCK STRUCK MIDNIGHT ON HIS 11TH BIRTHDAY, WENT LOOKING FOR HIS NINTENDO SWITCH GAMING CONSOLE BUT FOUND THE KEYS TO HIS DAD’S GUN SAFE WITH THE INTENTION TO SHOOT HIS FATHER. NOW, THE NEW DOCUMENTS REVEAL THAT CLAYTON WILLIAM DIETZ SHOT 42 YEAR OLD DOUGLAS DIETZ JUST HOURS AFTER HE AND CLAYTON’S MOTHER, SAYING, CLAYTON A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. DOUGLAS AND HIS WIFE ACTUALLY ADOPTED CLAYTON IN 2018, ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS. THOSE SAME DOCUMENTS SAY THE MOTHER TOLD POLICE SHE WENT TO BED SHORTLY AFTER SINGING HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. DOUGLAS WENT TO BED NOT TOO LONG AFTER AND AFTER A SHORT WHILE SHE WOKE UP TO A BANG SOUND. SHE TOLD POLICE SHE TRIED WAKING DOUGLAS UP, BUT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF BLOOD ON HIS FACE AND WAS UNRESPONSIVE. CLAYTON WAS IN THE CLOSET NEXT TO HER SAYING, QUOTE, HE’S DEAD. WHEN POLICE WENT TO TALK TO CLAYTON. TROOPERS NOTICED A LARGE BRUISE ABOVE HIS LEFT EYE AND A CUT ON HIS BOTTOM LIP. CLAYTON ADMITTED TO POLICE HE HAD A GOOD DAY WITH HIS PARENTS THE DAY BEFORE, BUT WHEN HIS DAD TOLD HIM TO GO TO BED, HE GOT MAD AND TOLD TROOPERS, QUOTE, HE HAD SOMEONE IN MIND WHO HE WAS GOING TO SHOOT, WHOM HE IDENTIFIED AS HIS FATHER. END QUOTE. THE DOCUMENTS SAY THE TROOPERS ASKED THE 11 YEAR OLD WHAT HE THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN HE PULLED THE TRIGGER. HE ANSWERED, HE WAS JUST MAD AND HE HADN’T THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. HE’S NOW CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL HOMICIDE AND IS BEING HELD IN THE PERRY COUNTY PRISON. WE’RE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THIS STORY TODAY, AND WE’LL HAVE LIV
‘I killed Daddy’: 11-year-old boy shoots, kills father on birthday in Perry County, courts docs say
Updated: 12:15 PM EST Jan 14, 2026
An 11-year-old boy faces homicide charges after shooting and killing his father in Perry County, according to Pennsylvania State Police. WGAL News 8 obtained court documents that reveal new details about what happened the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 13, in Duncannon Borough. Father shot to death, police sayOfficers responded to a home on South Market Street around 3:20 a.m. for an “unresponsive male” and found Douglas Dietz, 42, dead from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the documents. Douglas was found in his bed in the bedroom he shares with his wife, which is connected to their son’s bedroom by a closet, according to the affidavit. ‘I killed Daddy,’ court docs sayAfter investigating, police identified Douglas’ 11-year-old son, Clayton Dietz, as the suspect. According to the court documents, Douglas’ wife told police she was asleep when a loud noise woke her, and she smelled something similar to fireworks. She said she tried to nudge Douglas, but he didn’t move. She then heard what she thought was water dripping, but when she turned on the light, she realized it was blood, according to the documents. Police said Clayton then entered the bedroom and shouted, “Daddy’s dead.” Troopers at the scene also said they heard Clayton tell his mother, “I killed Daddy.” Officials noted that Douglas and his wife adopted Clayton in 2018. Happened on son’s birthday, police sayAccording to the court documents, the couple went to bed shortly after midnight after singing happy birthday to Clayton. Clayton told investigators that he had a good day with his parents, according to police. “When his dad told him he needed to go to bed, he got mad at him,” the documents stated.When police asked Clayton what happened, he said, “I shot somebody,” according to the affidavit. “He admitted that he had someone in mind whom he was going to shoot, whom he identified as his father,” the documents said. Gun was locked in a safe, police say The wife told police there was a gun safe in the bedroom, but she denied knowing where the key was kept, according to investigators. Clayton said he found the key in his father’s drawer and unlocked the safe in an attempt to find his Nintendo Switch, which was previously taken away from him, according to the documents. Clayton admitted to “removing the gun from the safe, loading bullets into it and walking over to his father’s side of the bed,” the affidavit stated. “He pulled back the hammer and fired the gun at his father.”When police asked Clayton what he thought would happen when he fired the gun, he said that “he was mad, and he had not thought about that,” investigators stated. Police: Charged with homicideAccording to state police, Clayton was taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide. Clayton was denied bail and is being held at the Perry County Prison, where a hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22. Neighbors shockedWGAL News 8 Reporter AJ Sisson spoke to a neighbor who expressed shock, saying they didn’t expect something like this to happen in their community.”They’re very kind. I mean, I didn’t talk to them much. They, you know, kept to themselves over there and just seemed pretty nice. I didn’t expect this,” said Jesse Weldon, lifelong Duncannon resident.Weldon lives just down the road and was outside during the Pennsylvania State Police’s investigation, but barely knew the people inside. Neighbors who spoke off-camera say this street used to be a tight-knit community, but not many know each other nowadays.”Have you ever seen something like this here in the area?” asked Sisson.”Not really. Not this close. I mean, you hear about it, like, not like right next door to people, you know?” said Weldon. “I remember the 90s when stuff was just transitioning, technology, and from now back to then, so much has changed.” This is a developing story. Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.
PERRY COUNTY, Pa. —
An 11-year-old boy faces homicide charges after shooting and killing his father in Perry County, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
WGAL News 8 obtained court documents that reveal new details about what happened the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 13, in Duncannon Borough.
Father shot to death, police say
Officers responded to a home on South Market Street around 3:20 a.m. for an “unresponsive male” and found Douglas Dietz, 42, dead from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the documents.
Douglas was found in his bed in the bedroom he shares with his wife, which is connected to their son’s bedroom by a closet, according to the affidavit.
‘I killed Daddy,’ court docs say
After investigating, police identified Douglas’ 11-year-old son, Clayton Dietz, as the suspect.
According to the court documents, Douglas’ wife told police she was asleep when a loud noise woke her, and she smelled something similar to fireworks. She said she tried to nudge Douglas, but he didn’t move. She then heard what she thought was water dripping, but when she turned on the light, she realized it was blood, according to the documents.
Police said Clayton then entered the bedroom and shouted, “Daddy’s dead.” Troopers at the scene also said they heard Clayton tell his mother, “I killed Daddy.”
Officials noted that Douglas and his wife adopted Clayton in 2018.
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Scene of Perry County shooting
Happened on son’s birthday, police say
According to the court documents, the couple went to bed shortly after midnight after singing happy birthday to Clayton.
Clayton told investigators that he had a good day with his parents, according to police. “When his dad told him he needed to go to bed, he got mad at him,” the documents stated.
When police asked Clayton what happened, he said, “I shot somebody,” according to the affidavit. “He admitted that he had someone in mind whom he was going to shoot, whom he identified as his father,” the documents said.
Gun was locked in a safe, police say
The wife told police there was a gun safe in the bedroom, but she denied knowing where the key was kept, according to investigators.
Clayton said he found the key in his father’s drawer and unlocked the safe in an attempt to find his Nintendo Switch, which was previously taken away from him, according to the documents.
Clayton admitted to “removing the gun from the safe, loading bullets into it and walking over to his father’s side of the bed,” the affidavit stated. “He pulled back the hammer and fired the gun at his father.”
When police asked Clayton what he thought would happen when he fired the gun, he said that “he was mad, and he had not thought about that,” investigators stated.
Police: Charged with homicide
According to state police, Clayton was taken into custody and charged with criminal homicide.
Clayton was denied bail and is being held at the Perry County Prison, where a hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22.
Neighbors shocked
WGAL News 8 Reporter AJ Sisson spoke to a neighbor who expressed shock, saying they didn’t expect something like this to happen in their community.
“They’re very kind. I mean, I didn’t talk to them much. They, you know, kept to themselves over there and just seemed pretty nice. I didn’t expect this,” said Jesse Weldon, lifelong Duncannon resident.
Weldon lives just down the road and was outside during the Pennsylvania State Police’s investigation, but barely knew the people inside. Neighbors who spoke off-camera say this street used to be a tight-knit community, but not many know each other nowadays.
“Have you ever seen something like this here in the area?” asked Sisson.
“Not really. Not this close. I mean, you hear about it, like, not like right next door to people, you know?” said Weldon. “I remember the 90s when stuff was just transitioning, technology, and from now back to then, so much has changed.”
This is a developing story. Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.