Family row over the killing of a pitbull belonging to one member ended with Father, 60, and son, 32, shooting each other dead on Saturday in Washington County, Alabama

The younger man had killed the pitbull after it attacked his girlfriends yong child

Kelvin James Coker, 60, fatally shot his son, Kelvin Nicholas Coker, 32, who then killed his father in Alabama

Armed confrontation took place after Nicholas shot dead two of his family’s dogs, one of them belonging to James, for attacking the ix-year-old child

When James Coker’s other son warned Nicholas their father would be upset, Nicholas allegedly threatened his brother with a gun

Shortly after James Coker pulled up to his son’s home in his truck and a confrontation started

“Nicholas pointed his shotgun at his father and his father then… who was seated in his vehicle drew his handgun, fired a shot and struck Nicholas,” authorities said

Nicholas, who was shot in the torso, allegedly fired back with his shotgun striking his father in his neck and killing him

James was charged with assault in 2012 for shooting his other son three times

A domestc squabble over the life of a dog turned deadly in Alabama over the weekend. The tragedy unfolded within a family described by the Washington County sheriff as ‘very dysfunctional.’  Sheriff’s deputies responded to a number of violent incidents over years prior to father, son fatally shooting each other on Saturday.
The 60 year-old dog owner man fatally shot his 32-year-old son who shot in in return shot him dead in a dispute over a dog
Kelvin Nicholas Coker shot and killed the dog after it tried to attack a child. 
When Kelvin James Coker, 60, discovered his dog had been shot on Saturday, he then drove to the son’s home for a showdown.
James Coker opened fire first, striking his son in the torso, said Washington County Sheriff Richard Stringer. Nicholas returned fire with a shotgun, hitting his father in the neck.
Both men died from their wounds.
Chief investigator Blake Richardson told WALA the incident began when Nicholas Coker opened fire on four of the family’s dogs, after one of the animals started attacking his girlfriend’s young daughter.
Two of the dogs were killed. One of them belonged to his dad James Coker.
‘His brother said dad is going to be upset that you killed his dog and Nicholas allegedly pointed the shotgun at his brother and using choice language more or less told him to get off his property or he would kill him,’ said Richardson.
Moments later 60-year-old Kelvin James Coker pulled up to his son’s home in his truck and a confrontation started. 
“Nicholas pointed his shotgun at his father and his father then… who was seated in his vehicle drew his handgun, fired a shot and struck Nicholas,” authorities said.
Nicholas, who was shot in the torso, allegedly fired back with his shotgun striking his father in his neck and killing him. 

Moments later, James arrived at his son’s home in his truck and an argument ensued.
During the confrontation, the investigator said, “Nicholas pointed his shotgun at his father and his father then… who was seated in his vehicle drew his handgun, fired a shot and struck Nicholas.”
A mortally wounded Nicholas, who was shot in the torso, allegedly fired back with his shotgun striking his father in his neck and killing him. 
It’s unfortunate that they would not value human life not any more than that,’ Richardson said. 
Nicholas’ girlfriend, Ariel Anderson, has disputed the investigators’ official version of events, claiming that her boyfriend did not kill his father, but rather that James took his own life after killing his son in a fit of anger. 
‘Nic Coker did not kill his daddy and they did not have an argument!!’ she wrote in a Facebook post.
‘Nic was protecting my daughter from his and his dads pitbulls that were hurting her and his dad just showed up and shot him because he was mad that Nic killed his dog then he shot himself!’
Nicholas and his father didn’t have a good relationship, and Nic had a checkered past but had gotten his act straight and was a loving father, Anderson said
However, investigators have defended their initial findings, saying that the coroner’s unofficial report shows James could not have committed suicide. 

‘I’m very confident that’s how the events unfolded, we try and let the evidence speak for everything and make sure everything is considering with our witness statements and right now we believe that’s the case.’ Richardson told WKRG. 
Sheriff’s officials said they have responded to multiple violent incidents involving the Cokers over the years. Back in 2012, James was charged with first-degree assault for shooting his other son three times.