‘I’d do it again’: Sharpshooter brother, 13, proudly shows off the slingshot he used to save his eight-year-old sister from being kidnapped by a man ‘with a black mohawk’
- The heroic 13-year-old boy showed off his weapon of choice during a Good Morning America performance on Thursday
- The teen said if the scary situation ever happened again, he wouldn’t think twice about deploying his slingshot a second time
- According to the police, the 17-year-old man had plans to severely beat the 8-year-old girl
A 13-year-old boy who saved his eight-year-old sister from kidnapping by quickly deploying his slingshot has spoken out about the harrowing ordeal – saying he would do it again to protect her.
His sister was looking for mushrooms in her backyard in Alpena, Michigan, when a man appeared from the woods.
The victim’s uncle posted on Facebook that the 17-year-old male suspect had a “black mohawk” and had covered the young girl’s mouth and then tried to drag her away.
Her 13-year-old brother watched the fight from his bedroom in the family’s home and quickly sprang into action, grabbing his slingshot and firing objects at the would-be kidnapper’s head and chest.
The 13-year-old who fended off his sister’s kidnapper shows off the slingshot he used to do it
The teenager sat between his parents and explained how he reacted when he saw a man trying to kidnap his sister behind their house
During a Thursday morning appearance on Good Morning America, the 13-year-old showed off the slingshot he used to defend his sister.
Several times he recreated the movement of the catapult.
He described watching the suspect try to kidnap his sister and how his sister tried to fight back.
He said his first instinct was to spring into action and use the slingshot to throw a rock and then a marble at the suspect.
‘He was angry. He started cursing. I hit him again, he starts running away,” explained the teen, who showed off his weapon of choice, before concluding, “If it happens again, I’ll do it again.”
Lieutenant John Grimshaw, commander of the Michigan State Troopers’ local post, said the teen’s quick action and precise aiming caused him (the kidnapper) to let go.
“The girl managed to get away and he shot another, punched the suspect in the chest and then fled,” he told 9 and 10 News.
Grimshaw said the suspect admitted his intention was to severely beat the eight-year-old girl after kidnapping her.
The suspect, who was also unidentified due to his age, ran away from the two children and tried to hide before authorities found him at a nearby gas station.
The victim’s brother was credited with being heroic and making it easier for police to identify the suspect.
“What he did also helped us identify who the suspect was because he clearly had injuries from being hit with a slingshot,” Grimshaw said.
Lieutenant John Grimshaw said the suspect admitted his intention to severely beat the eight-year-old girl if he managed to drag her away
The teen says he wouldn’t hesitate to use the gun again in a similar situation
An eight-year-old Michigan girl was saved from a kidnapping attempt by a 17-year-old thanks to her brother’s use of a slingshot to stop the kidnapper, who would go on to beat her badly in the woods
Authorities said the victim and her parents were both emotionally shaken, but the girl was unharmed.
Grimshaw offered advice to people who might become victims of kidnapping attempts in the future.
“Fight, fight, do all you can bite the hand you hold with one hand over your mouth. If that’s the case, stomp their feet, kick their shins, do what you can to fight.”
And when your mouth is free, shout as loud as you can,” the commander added.