(CNN) — A 69-year-old man shot dead his adult son in Los Angeles this week because his son was gay, according to prosecutors.
Shehada Khalil Issa was charged with premeditated murder.
He had previously threatened to kill his son, Amir Issa, 29, because he was gay, according to Los Angeles County prosecutors.
Police responded to a 911 call Tuesday and arrived at the family home in the North Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Officers found the body of the son outside their home and his mother’s body inside the home. Prosecutors allege that the elder Issa fired a shotgun that killed his son.
The LAPD is still investigating what happened to the victim’s mother, who was not identified.
Investigators told the Los Angeles Daily News Issa had initially said he found his dead wife in the bathroom of their house and had shot his son in self-defense after being threatened with a knife.
Later, Issa made “incriminating statements” and was subsequently charged with murder. A detective told the paper: “It was a horrible family tragedy.”
Issa is being held without bail and could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He will be arraigned on April 11.
