Lawyer: Utah man accused of killing 5-month-old son 'devastated;' could face death penalty

Joshua Petersen makes his initial appearance at the Fourth District Court in Provo Monday, April 15, 2013. Petersen is charged with killing his 5-month-old son. (AP Photo/The Daily Herald, Mark Johnston, Pool) MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald (The Associated Press)

Joshua Petersen makes his initial appearance at the Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Monday, April 15, 2013. Petersen is charged with killing his 5-month-old son. (AP Photo/The Daily Herald, Mark Johnston, Pool) (The Associated Press)

Joshua Petersen is led from the courtroom after making his initial appearance at the Fourth District Court in Provo Monday, April 15, 2013. Petersen is charged with killing his 5-month-old son. (AP Photo/The Daily Herald, Mark Johnston, Pool) MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald (The Associated Press)

The lawyer for a Utah man accused of fatally shooting his 5-month-old son is "devastated" about it.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that (http://bit.ly/YKJeGC ) 21-year-old Joshua Petersen, of American Fork, made his initial court appearance Monday in Provo.

Prosecutors say they'll decide about the death penalty after Petersen is arraigned and enters a plea to the charge.

Petersen is accused of placing his son, Ryker, on a sofa and shooting him in the head with a rifle on April 5. Police say Petersen then tried to kill himself before a family member stopped him.

Investigators say Petersen was upset when his girlfriend broke up with him, and plotted for a month to shoot his son.

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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com