CLINTON, MISSOURI: Thomas Ribby, 70, has allegedly admitted to fatally shooting his grandson Royce Hayes Osburn, 16, at home on September 17, 2023.
The grandfather told investigators that he did not know that the gun was loaded, but the family said that it does not explain why the gun was aimed at his grandson, according to a USA Today report.
There had been conflict between the two previously, but no one thought that it would end in such a manner.
How was Royce Hayes Osburn killed?
Charging documents state that Ribby gave his grandson Royce Hayes Osburn the gun to play with before the incident took place. A witness reportedly "observed the victim playing with the firearm and pretended he was clearing rooms."
Osburn went to his mother Melissa Ribby after being shot clutching his chest and said, "Papa shot me." "My baby died in my arms," the grieving mother said.
According to the police report, Ribby locked himself in his apartment when the police arrived.
Investigation into Royce Osburn’s death
Officers responded at 11.30 pm to investigate the shooting, according to the police department's press release.
Upon arrival, they found the teenager with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest. He was rushed to the local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The grandfather has been charged with first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and resisting arrest, according to information from the Clinton Missouri Police Department and the Henry County Sheriff's Office. He is being held at the Henry County Detention Center under a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Melissa Ribby, daughter of Thomas and mother of Osburn, said, "I don’t even want to see him. He’s not my dad. He’s not my dad at all. I don’t ever want to talk to him again. And I don’t care if he burns in hell. I don’t care. He should have never done that to a child. My child deserved more than that. If he wanted to kill somebody, turn around and do it to yourself. I’m sorry. That’s the way I feel."
Additional details about the case, including circumstances surrounding the shooting, have not been released by the police.
