On the morning of November 30th, 2016, 14-year-old Jacob Remaley went into the kitchen of his family’s Hempfield, Pennsylvania home and grabbed the gun they stored on top of the kitchen refrigerator. He took the gun to his bedroom and realized that the gun was unloaded. Taking the time to load the gun, Jacob then walked into his mother’s room and shot her while she slept in her bed. After fatally shooting his mother, the teen then walked into the bedroom of his 8-year-old brother Caleb and fatally shot him in a similar fashion.
It was shortly before 7am when Jacob called 911. He told the dispatcher that his father shot his mom and brother before placing the gun in his bed. Neighbors spotted the boy walking down the street with the gun. A neighbor was able to talk to Jacob and convince him to take the gun inside so he could tell police on the scene what happened.
He was found by police in a near catatonic state, muttering “Mom” over and over as he wandered around his yard. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment and questioned by police about the incident. Jacob then admitted that he had been behind the double murder.
According to reports Jacob told police that he would have shot his father too if he had been home at the time. He is currently undergoing a psychological evaluation. Police say the boy has no history of mental illness and the community of Hempfield is struggling to wrap their mind around the possible motives behind the shootings.
Jacob’s mother, Dana Remaley, was active within the Hempfield community and worked with the local school district as a personal care assistant. Friends and neighbors say that the Remaley’s were always the first to volunteer for various community events and Jacob himself donated his hair once a year to a charity that makes wigs for young cancer patients.
Jacob, who has been described as a “meek and loving boy,” had been slightly upset that his parents weren’t getting along and had the typical ups and downs teenagers have with their parents, but nothing that could be considered a potential motive behind the killings. He has been charged with two counts of murder.