Overview

• 68-year-old Jeffrey Scott West shot his partner's 24-year-old son, Kyle W. Spitze, in the ear during a heated argument in their Friendsville, Tennessee home on August 25, 2023.
• Spitze's mother was present during the incident and tried to intervene, but West fired a shot that grazed Spitze's ear.
• Following the shooting, Spitze and his mother fled the house and called 911, leading to a two-hour standoff between West and the police.
• West barricaded himself in the house and eventually died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• Footage of the incident went viral in January 2024, sparking widespread shock and speculation online.