Sitka, Kentucky – A 61-year-old father has been arrested in Johnson County, Kentucky after allegedly shooting his own son for disregarding his order to be silent. Timothy L. Rivers faces charges of attempted murder, wanton endangerment, cultivating marijuana plants, contempt of court, and nonpayment of court fees or fines. The latter two charges are unrelated to the shooting incident.
The arrest of Rivers came after deputies from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting at a residence. When they arrived at the scene, they discovered the back door open and observed Rivers sitting in an armchair with a Winchester .20-20 lever-action rifle in front of him. Rivers was reportedly smoking marijuana in a pipe at the time. Authorities instructed Rivers to keep his hands empty and above his head, and they later found additional marijuana plants in another room of the house.
Rivers allegedly admitted in a recorded interview with investigators that he and his son were together in the home when his son suddenly burst into the backroom and began yelling loudly. Rivers claimed that he warned his son to be quiet or would “shoot the hell out of him,” but when his son continued to shout, Rivers said he shot him.
The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed by authorities, was transported to a hospital prior to the arrival of law enforcement officers.
Rivers is currently being held at the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center on a $100,000 cash bond. He appeared for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has not provided additional information about the previous matter as of now.