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Police: 13-year-old boy fatally shot grandparents over insult about mother

FRANKLIN, Pa. — State police have charged a 13-year-old boy as an adult on charges that he fatally shot his grandparents in their Venango County home.

Troopers from the Franklin barracks announced the charges Tuesday against Zachery James Proper, of Oil City.

Police said Proper shot his grandmother, Dorothy Fross, and step-grandfather, George Fross, at their home in Sandycreek Township about 4 p.m. Sunday.

According to the criminal complaint, Proper cut the lock off of a gun safe, walked up to his grandmother while she was cooking, put his headphones in his ears and shot her.

The complaint said Proper then called his grandfather and asked him when he would be home. Proper met his grandfather at the door and shot him, the complaint said.

According to state police, Proper told them he shot his grandparents because he was upset that they called his mother a whore.

“We have questions to why a 13-year-old would do something like this. It’s kind of shocking and we are still investigating,” State Police Trooper David Wargo said.

Proper’s father told Channel 11 News that his parents played with Proper and loved him dearly.

He also said he doesn’t think his son did it and wants the person responsible to pay for the crime.

“I don’t care as long as they catch the person who did it, blood or not,” Proper’s father said.

Proper has been arraigned and ordered held without bond, which is standard in homicide cases in Pennsylvania.