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| Father 'murdered' by son, aged 8 | Father 'murdered' by son, aged 8 |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| An eight-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of his father and another man in the US state of Arizona. | An eight-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of his father and another man in the US state of Arizona. |
| Police in St Johns, a small community north-east of Phoenix, said the child had confessed to shooting the two men with a .22-calibre rifle on Wednesday. | Police in St Johns, a small community north-east of Phoenix, said the child had confessed to shooting the two men with a .22-calibre rifle on Wednesday. |
| "Who would think an eight-year-old kid could kill two adults?" said St Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick on Friday. | "Who would think an eight-year-old kid could kill two adults?" said St Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick on Friday. |
| A judge has ordered a psychological evaluation of the boy, who is being held at a juvenile detention centre. | A judge has ordered a psychological evaluation of the boy, who is being held at a juvenile detention centre. |
| He did not have a record of bad behaviour at school, and there had been no indication of any problems at home, prosecutors said. | He did not have a record of bad behaviour at school, and there had been no indication of any problems at home, prosecutors said. |
| Mr Melnick said police officers had arrived at the child's home within minutes of the shooting on Wednesday evening. | Mr Melnick said police officers had arrived at the child's home within minutes of the shooting on Wednesday evening. |
| Reaction from St Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick and neighbours | |
| They found one victim just outside the front door and the other dead in an upstairs room, he added. | They found one victim just outside the front door and the other dead in an upstairs room, he added. |
| The second man is believed to have been lodging in the house. | The second man is believed to have been lodging in the house. |
| The boy had gone to a neighbour's house and said he "believed that his father was dead", Apache County prosecutor Brad Carlyon said. Police later obtained a confession from the boy for the two killings. | The boy had gone to a neighbour's house and said he "believed that his father was dead", Apache County prosecutor Brad Carlyon said. Police later obtained a confession from the boy for the two killings. |
| His defence lawyer, Benjamin Brewer, said police had overreached in questioning him without representation from a parent or a lawyer, and that they had not advised him of his rights. | His defence lawyer, Benjamin Brewer, said police had overreached in questioning him without representation from a parent or a lawyer, and that they had not advised him of his rights. |