A father left a courtroom stunned after pleading guilty to the murders of his son and girlfriend — all while wearing a smirk on his face.

David Huff, 43, grinned in court as he admitted to shooting 32-year-old Yeraldith Tschudy and 11-year-old Jeremiah Huff in Syracuse, New York State, in March 2025.

Local media reported that Huff smiled and laughed as Judge Ted Limpert read out the charges against him.

The New York Post reported that Judge Limpert asked: "You find this funny?" Huff responded that he had a joke stuck in his head.

He denied claims that he had shot his son in the face, yet confessed to both killings, according to 13 ABC.

"I'm guilty of all that," Huff said. "Whatever you guys say, I'm guilty of."

Both Yeraldith and Jeremiah were killed with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Huff's stepfather was also targeted in the attack, investigators revealed.

Jeremiah's mother, Samantha Gallup Peltier, was the first to contact the emergency services after receiving a deeply disturbing call from her son shortly before the killings took place.

Huff fled the scene before police arrived but was apprehended by state police at around 9.30am the following day.

It is understood that the defence waited several months for a medical expert to assess Huff's mental health.

Defence lawyer Shaun Chase stated that several experts concluded any mental incapacity stemmed from his voluntary misuse of alcohol or drugs.

Prosecutors said it remains unclear whether Huff had taken any substances on the night of the killings.

Huff was declared fit to stand trial and opted to plead guilty to the second-degree charges rather than face a first-degree murder conviction.

As a result, Huff may have a chance of being granted parole when he is sentenced.

In New York State, parole can be awarded for second-degree murder convictions, typically after serving a specified number of years before becoming eligible for consideration by the Board of Parole.

His sentencing date has yet to be confirmed.