Las Vegas teen pleads guilty to killing his dad after fight over electronics

A teenager who shot and killed his father in a dispute over his access to electronics pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Thursday.

Jeremy Peterson, 45, died Dec. 28 in the 6600 block of Tampa Court in what police said was a family quarrel.

Lincoln Peterson, 15, a small, bespectacled boy, spoke quietly as District Judge Tierra Jones questioned him about his plea agreement. He confirmed he had killed his father and was making his plea voluntarily.

Prosecutors agreed to limit their argument at sentencing to six to 15 years, according to Jones.

Defense attorney Ryan Helmick has previously said the killing was not intentional.

Peterson’s mother told police his grades had been declining, so the family took his electronics away as punishment, according to court records. She and her husband “believed he was sneaking electronics,” which led to an argument, court documents indicated.

“She saw Jeremy had been shot and Lincoln was running away with a gun in his hand,” an adult certification order said.

According to the order, Peterson told police he was running from his parents when he picked up a hand gun sitting on top of a dryer and fired towards the laundry room. “He denied any knowledge of hitting anyone,” the order said.

Weeks before the shooting, Peterson’s sister reported he had waved an unloaded gun at his family, then pointed it to his head and pulled the trigger, court records show.

Peterson’s sentencing is set for June 5. He previously faced charges of murder with a deadly weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@review-journal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.