- An Oklahoma father was charged with murder for fatally shooting his teen son
- Tony Rutherford was accused of shooting and killing 13-year-old Kyle McDowell on April 7 after he mistook the teen for a thief stealing a stolen family vehicle
- Rutherford was checking on his older son’s vacant home when he saw someone driving his son’s truck away from the property
- Rutherford pursued the car and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, hitting the driver
- McDowell was pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said
An Oklahoma father has been charged with murder after he fatally shot his son thinking the teen was a thief.
Tony Rutherford, of Jay, was checking on his older son’s house on April 7 when he saw someone driving away from the home in his son’s truck.
Rutherford pursued the vehicle and fired his AR-15 rifle several times, killing the driver.
When Rutherford approached the truck he realized the driver was his 13-year-old son, Kyle McDowell.
Tony Rutherford was charged with first-degree murder for fatally shooting his 13-year-old son on April 7
The 47-year-old father was arrested after the incident and charged Tuesday with first-degree murder, Tulsa World reports.
He’s currently free on $100,000 bail.
His attorney, Winston Connor II, called the shooting ‘a tragic accident’.
According to the outlet, the teen’s mother Misty McDowell initially told a Delaware County dispatcher that her husband had accidentally shot their son because he thought the teen, who was sneaking out of the family home, was a burglar.
A probable cause affidavit states that neighbors had notified Rutherford about suspicious activity at the home after many vehicles were seen at the residence, which was supposed to be vacant.
When sheriff deputies arrived at the scene Rutherford and McDowell were performing CPR on the teen.
Rutherford mistakenly thought his son, Kyle McDowell (pictured), was a thief stealing their family car. The teen had snuck out of the home and taken the car
Advertisement