A 15-year-old Sandy boy faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter following the fatal shooting of his father at their home on September 27. The teen, whose name is not being released due to his minor status, told police shortly after being taken into custody that he "just couldn't take it anymore" before the shooting, according to police documents. Officers responding to a call at the Sandy residence found the father dead from a gunshot wound.
Immediately after the incident, the 15-year-old told police on the front lawn of the home that he had shot his father in the head, and that the bullet subsequently struck his brother in the leg. During an interview with a Sandy Police Department detective, the suspect's brother described their father as an "extremely angry man," comparing him to the "Incredible Hulk." The brother claimed that he and the 15-year-old suffered years of verbal and physical abuse from their father, who allegedly would yell at his sons if they "ever cried or giggled" because it was "not manly."
The brother's account to detectives detailed specific instances of alleged abuse. He claimed that their father would "always go for his face first," having previously broken six pairs of his son's glasses. The brother learned to remove his glasses in anticipation of these alleged assaults. He also described being kicked three times in the back by his father, who was wearing metal-toed shoes, according to the documents. The earliest memory of alleged abuse shared by the brother dated back to when the family resided in Montana, when their father allegedly hit him, causing his head to hit a guardrail.
On the day of the shooting, the 15-year-old suspect told police his father had yelled at him and "repeatedly struck him in the head" while explaining how the bathroom should be cleaned. The teen stated that his father struck him at least 40 times over five minutes during this incident. The 15-year-old further told detectives that he then heard his father yelling at and hitting his brother in the bathroom. Feeling he "couldn't take it anymore and was at his last straw," the teen then retrieved his father's gun, according to police documents.
The suspect's brother corroborated parts of the account of the shooting day. He said he heard a "bang" from the bathroom and watched as his father, who appeared angry "even after he had been shot," moved toward the 15-year-old. The brother stated his belief that if the 15-year-old had not shot their father a second time, the man would have killed them both.
The police documents also outlined additional claims of abuse by the suspect. The boy, who is diabetic, stated that his father never paid attention to his diabetes training in the hospital. He claimed his father yelled at him when he ate after administering insulin. In one incident, the teen alleged his father hit him when his blood sugar level had not dropped, even after the boy explained that this was something beyond his control. Following that specific event, the father allegedly forced his son to administer more insulin and hit him again when the boy attempted to explain how the injections worked. The 15-year-old told investigators he experienced recurring nightmares about his father "getting mad, hitting him and killing him."
The 15-year-old boy remains in custody.