Tennessee boy shoots, kills mom’s husband during fight

DEER LODGE, Tenn. – Authorities in eastern Tennessee say a 12-year-old boy shot and killed his mother’s husband during a domestic dispute.

News outlets report 56-year-old Kevron Thomas “Tommy” Durham was shot twice with a rifle Saturday night. A release from District Attorney General Russell Johnson says authorities had received at least five previous calls from the home for domestic violence, although none resulted in criminal charges.

It’s unclear whether Durham was the boy’s father or stepfather.

Johnson says authorities believe the child was coming to the defence of his mother, a repeated victim of domestic violence. He says authorities are determining what they “can do through juvenile court with the suspect.” He says juvenile court can provide counselling and services, but that if he were an adult, he wouldn’t be charged for defending a third party.