An 11-year-old boy was handcuffed and perp walked into court to face homicide charges after he allegedly shot his adoptive father dead in the middle of the night for taking his gaming console off him. 

Clayton Dietz arrived in chains and flanked by probation officers as he was escorted into a Pennsylvania courthouse for his first hearing Thursday.

The baby-faced pre-teen, who has been charged as an adult in the January 13 shooting of Douglas Dietz, maintained an emotionless expression and ignored questions from the press as he was dragged into the building.

He also seemingly tripped over himself while appearing in court, WHP reported.

The boy is accused of shooting Douglas, 42, in the head as he slept with a revolver he found in a bedroom safe at their home in Duncannon Borough, near Harrisburg.

Police said the shooting occurred on Clayton Dietz’s birthday. The family had gone to bed shortly after midnight after singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him.

Dietz told police he had a good day with his parents, but was upset because his Nintendo Switch console had been taken away. 

His mother Jillian told troopers that after the shooting, the young boy said to her: ‘I killed my dad. I hate myself.’ An officer also reportedly heard him say ‘I killed Daddy.’

Clayton Dietz, 11, was handcuffed and perp walked into the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania on Thursday to face criminal homicide charges

Dietz (right) is accused of shooting his adoptive father Douglas Dietz (left, back) dead while he slept on January 13. He allegedly told his adoptive mother Jillian (left, front) ‘I killed Daddy’

Pennsylvania State Police say the boy used a revolver he found in a bedroom safe at their home in Duncannon Borough, near Harrisburg, to carry out the deadly shooting

If he is tried as an adult and convicted of criminal homicide, Dietz could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Although the US Supreme Court has banned mandatory life sentences for minors, Pennsylvania law still permits such sentencing, according to the Juvenile Law Center.

If tried as a juvenile, Dietz’s sentence could be significantly less severe.

Under Pennsylvania law, offenders aged 14 or younger can be sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison for first-degree murder or 20 years to life for second-degree murder.

Dietz’s attorney, after Thursday’s hearing, told reporters his goal is to ‘try and get him into juvenile court.’

Douglas Dietz was found lying in the bedroom he shared with his wife, which was connected to their son’s bedroom by a closet, just after 3am on January 13. 

Jillian told police she was asleep when a loud noise jolted her awake, court documents said. 

She initially thought she smelled fireworks. When she tried to wake her husband and got no response, she noticed what sounded like water dripping. 

Douglas and Jillian Dietz adopted Clayton in 2018, court records show

If he is tried as an adult and convicted of criminal homicide, Clayton Dietz could face life in prison without the possibility of parole

Turning on the light, she realized it was blood, according to court records.

Clayton Dietz then entered the bedroom and shrieked: ‘Daddy’s dead.’

When questioned by investigators, the boy allegedly said, ‘I shot somebody,’ and admitted he had someone specific in mind – his adoptive father.

He also allegedly admitted to ‘removing the gun from the safe, loading bullets into it and walking over to his father’s side of the bed’ before ‘he pulled back the hammer and fired the gun at his father.’ 

Jillian told police there was a gun safe in the bedroom but claimed she did not know where the key was kept, the affidavit said. Dietz told troopers he found the key inside his father’s drawer.

Police allege Dietz unlocked the safe while searching for his Nintendo Switch, removed a firearm, loaded it with ammunition, walked to his father’s side of the bed and fired a single shot into his his head while he slept.

When asked what he believed would happen after pulling the trigger, investigators wrote that the child said he was angry and ‘had not thought about that.’

Dietz was adopted by Douglas and Jillian in 2018, court records show.