Merced County father accused of killing son

DELHI — An apparent dispute over a chainsaw ended with a father reportedly shooting his son dead over the weekend in Merced County.

Daniel McDonald, 66, was taken into custody for allegedly shooting his son, 46-year-old Donald McDonald, on Saturday night in Delhi, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

The deadly incident occurred at the home the two men shared in the 11000 block of Griffith Avenue during a family gathering. The sheriff’s department said alcohol may have been a factor.

According to Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin, the younger McDonald had been trying to fix a chainsaw inside the home but was unable to. An argument between father and son erupted and Daniel McDonald allegedly shot his son with a rifle.

“We’re going to term this the ‘chainsaw murder’ because that’s basically what it revolved around,” Pazin said.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they found Daniel McDonald holding the rifle in his hand.

“It’s almost a classic smoking gun type of investigation,” Pazin said.

The son, Donald McDonald, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The elder McDonald is being held without bail in Merced County jail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.