WILMINGTON — An accused shooter will face a judge instead of a jury.

Brandon Breezley, 23, appearing via video conference from the Clinton County Jail, requested a bench trial instead of a jury trial on Tuesday in Clinton County Common Pleas Court. Judge John “Tim” Rudduck scheduled the trial for Sept. 21.

The hearing was also to see if Breezley met the legal criteria to plea not guilty by reason of insanity. Rudduck indicated Breezley did not.

Breezley was charged with attempted murder and felonious assault of his father, David, on New Year’s Day.

Clinton County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a Lazenby Road residence in Midland that day where the victim was found lying on the kitchen floor “covered in blood,” according to the arrest affidavit

When Brandon Breezley was placed into custody, he reportedly said, “I just killed my dad, he is dead, I shot him in the head.”

According to the affidavit, the incident started when Brandon and David were arguing, which led to a physical altercation. After a while, Brandon told law enforcement officials he entered his parents’ bedroom and removed a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol from a safe, officials stated.

When the suspect heard his father walking toward the closed bedroom door so he held the door closed with his left hand, and when his father tried to enter the bedroom “he then placed the muzzle of the pistol to the door and fired a single shot,” the affidavit reads.

The affidavit indicated Breezley opened the bedroom door, observed his father lying on the floor, and “when his father rose to a seated position he shot at him again and saw his father immediately fall backwards.”

The affidavit also reports the suspect said he did not give first aid to his father, or seek assistance.

If Breezley is found guilty of the attempted murder charge (plus a firearm specification), the maximum prison sentence is 21 years. If he were found guilty of the felonious assault charge (plus a firearm specification), the maximum prison sentence is 18 years.