A quiet Saturday afternoon in Toney, Alabama, turned tragic in a domestic dispute that left a father dead and his younger son critically injured. Chad Wanca, a 43-year-old single father, was fatally shot at his home. His 12-year-old son, Hunter Wanca, was also wounded in the shooting and was rushed to the Children's Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham in critical condition.
The altercation reportedly began over a common household disagreement. According to the victim's parents, the dispute started when Chad Wanca asked his older son to clean his room. The argument escalated, culminating in the fatal shooting. The grandparents described the incident as a tragic escalation of a typical disagreement between a teenager and a parent trying to instill responsibility.
When Madison County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the residence after receiving multiple 911 calls, they found the suspect, 16-year-old Jeffrey Dale Wanca, outside the home. He approached the deputies with his hands raised and was taken into custody. Inside, they discovered his father and younger brother suffering from gunshot wounds. Chad Wanca was transported to Huntsville Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Jeffrey Dale Wanca was arrested and has been charged as an adult with one count of murder for his father's death and one count of attempted murder for the shooting of his brother. He was booked into the Madison County Jail and held on a combined $200,000 bond. Family members expressed their shock and grief, stating that Chad was a good father who loved his sons very much.
