Gun Discovered While Searching for Confiscated Game Console
"I Didn't Know What Would Happen. I Was Angry."
An incident occurred in which an 11-year-old boy, angry after having his game console confiscated, found a gun while searching for the device and fatally shot his father.
Nintendo Switch 2. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
On January 17 (local time), Pennsylvania local broadcaster WGAL and other outlets reported that an 11-year-old boy, the son of the victim, is expected to be charged in connection with a fatal shooting at a home in the Duncannon area of Perry County.
At around 3:20 a.m. on January 13, local police responded to a report of an "unconscious male." At the scene, a 42-year-old man was found dead on his bed in the bedroom, having suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The victim's wife told police that she had been asleep and was awakened by a loud noise, and that she smelled something similar to fireworks. She said she tried to wake her husband, but he did not respond, and when she turned on the light, she saw he was bleeding.
Responding officers reported hearing the couple's 11-year-old son tell his mother, "I killed Dad." The day of the incident was the boy's 11th birthday, and his Nintendo Switch game console had been confiscated by his father. It is believed that after midnight, while the couple was asleep, the boy opened a drawer in search of the game console, found a gun inside, and committed the act.
The boy told police that he took out the gun, loaded it, walked toward his father's bed, and pulled the trigger, shooting his father. When police asked the boy what he thought would happen if he fired the gun, he reportedly replied, "I never thought about it. I was angry."
The boy is known to have been adopted by the couple eight years ago. According to a friend of the victim who had supported the boy for a long time, the boy was on the autism spectrum and his symptoms had worsened last year. The friend paid tribute to the victim, saying, "If I could be remembered as even half the person and father my friend was, it would be an honor."
The boy is currently being held at Perry County Prison without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on January 22. In Pennsylvania, serious crimes such as murder are handled in adult court, even if the defendant is a minor.
The Guardian reported on the incident, criticizing how easily children can access firearms in the United States, where guns are widespread.
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