Police said the boy, whom the Dietzes adopted in 2018, walked into the bedroom exclaiming “Daddy’s dead”.
Attending officers also claimed they heard the boy telling his mother, “I killed Daddy”.
Court documents revealed both parents went to bed after midnight, having just spent the evening celebrating the boy’s birthday, WGAL 8 News reported.
The boy told investigators that although he’d enjoyed his birthday, he became “mad” when his father told him it was time to go to bed.
When asked by police what happened next, the boy said “I shot somebody”.
The child’s bedroom is connected to his parents’ via a shared closet.
The mother reportedly told police, a revolver was stored in a gun safe in the bedroom, but claimed not to know where the safe key was kept.
It is understood the boy discovered the key inside his father’s cabinet drawer while looking for his Nintendo Switch, which had previously been confiscated.
He said he took the gun from the safe, before “loading bullets into it and walking over to his father’s side of the bed”, an affidavit said.
“He pulled back the hammer and fired the gun at his father,” admitting to investigators he had not thought about the consequences because “he was mad”.
Neighbours were reportedly shocked by the incident, saying the family were known as “nice” and “kind” people.
WGAL News 8 reported the boy was taken into custody at Perry County Prison and charged with criminal homicide.
He was denied bail and is due to appear in court on January 22.
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.
