Midwest City, Oklahoma – A tragic incident unfolded in a quiet Midwest City neighborhood when a 15-year-old grandson shot and killed his 59-year-old grandfather on Thursday morning. The police were alerted to the scene when a man flagged them down, reporting that his roommate had been shot in their home near Northeast 10th Street and Air Depot Boulevard.
The victim, identified as Rex Pellerin, was discovered in the front yard with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest. Witnesses described a chaotic scene with cop cars and attempts to save Pellerin’s life through CPR. The grandson, whose identity remains concealed due to his juvenile status, was swiftly apprehended by the police.
According to the police report, the grandson claimed that his actions were a response to past abuse inflicted by his grandfather towards him, his siblings, and his mother. The conflict that led to the tragic shooting reportedly began during an argument around lunchtime on the day of the incident.
Miranda Hanson, a neighbor, expressed shock over the events, highlighting the unexpected nature of such violence in their typically peaceful area. The juvenile revealed to detectives that the altercation escalated when his grandfather allegedly slapped him after he expressed a desire to have lunch. Subsequently, the grandson admitted to shooting Pellerin three times with a pistol that had been kept in the victim’s bedroom.
Despite living in close proximity to the family since 2020, neighbors like Hanson noted that the Pellerins largely kept to themselves. The police report also disclosed that the juvenile had contemplated killing his grandfather six months prior to the fatal shooting.
The tragic incident serves as a somber reminder of the complexities and challenges that can exist within family dynamics, culminating in unimaginable outcomes. As the Midwest City community grapples with the aftermath of this senseless act, questions and reflections on underlying issues of abuse and violence come to the forefront. Such incidents compel society to confront the realities of family strife and seek avenues for intervention and prevention to avert similar tragedies in the future.