Boy accused of killing grandparents over insult to mother

A 13-year-old boy who reportedly became enraged after his grandparents called his mother a “whore” shot and killed the couple in their home in Pennsylvania and was being held without bond Tuesday on murder charges, police said.

The shooting occurred Sunday afternoon in Sandycreek Township, a town about 70 miles north of Pittsburgh, and left George Fross, 69, and his wife Dorothy Fross, 67, dead. Police found the bodies Monday night after relatives became concerned they could not reach the couple and phoned police, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Their grandson, Zachery Proper, lives in Oil City, about 10 miles away. The Post-Gazette quoted police as saying he was linked to the killings “through his connection with the family,” and that he sometimes stayed with the couple. It said he was staying with his grandparents when they were murdered. He was arraigned early Tuesday on murder charges and jailed without bond. Local media quoted prosecutors as saying he would be charged as an adult.

According to a police affidavit, the boy told law enforcement authorities that he was angry at his grandparents for insulting his mother and that his anger boiled over Sunday after they called her a “whore.” He allegedly told the Oil City police chief, Robert Wenner, that he used a gun taken from his grandparents’ safe and waited for his grandfather to go out Sunday before sneaking up behind his grandmother and shooting her in the head.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted the affidavit as saying that the boy put on his headphones to drown out the noise before pulling the trigger.

When George Fross arrived back from shopping, Zachery allegedly told police he met him at the front door, took a pizza out of his hands, then waited for his grandfather to walk in front of him before opening fire. The affidavit said Zachery then went to a cousin’s house, tossing the gun in a storm drain along the way.

Zachery’s parents became concerned when they could not reach Mr. and Mrs. Fross and asked police to go check on the couple.

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