PALMDALE – Murder charges have been filed against a 40-year-old man accused of shooting his father to death during a gunfight in their Palmdale home last month.
John Adam Duft is charged with one count of murder with a special allegation of personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, according to Jane Robison of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges were filed Tuesday, and Duft was scheduled to be arraigned that day at the Antelope Valley courthouse. However, Duft did not appear in court, and his arraignment was postponed until Wednesday, June 5.
The charges stem from a shootout that occurred on May 25 between Duft and his 70-year-old father, John Charles Duft, in their Palmdale home in the 5600 Block of Magda Court.
Around 7:40 p.m., both men got into a verbal dispute that escalated into a shootout, according to Sheriff’s Homicide Lt. Steve Jauch.
Authorities have released little details about the incident, and they have not said what sparked the dispute. Both men were shot multiple times, according to sources at the scene.
Father and son were transported to the hospital, where the elder Duft died of his injuries and John Adam Duft was listed in critical but stable condition.
Neighbors said authorities found a small cache of legal weapons in the home, but this has not been confirmed by homicide detectives.
John Adam Duft was arrested for murder on Saturday, June 1. On Tuesday, a superior court judge ordered Duft held without bail. He remains in custody at the Los Angeles County Medical Center, according to LASD inmate records.
Previous related story: Man killed in shootout with son ID’d
–