The bond between siblings is one of the strongest and most genuine forms of love, and this story is another example of it.
Owen Burns, a 13-year-old from Alpena Township, Michigan, was about to play his favorite game, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, on his PlayStation 3 when he suddenly heard his younger sister screaming. The screams came from the yard where she had been playing. Worried something was wrong, Owen ran to the window and was shocked to see someone trying to drag his 8-year-old sister toward the woods near their home.
Realizing he had to act quickly, Owen grabbed the $3 slingshot his mom had bought him and found the closest things to use as ammo—a marble and a rock. Since he had practiced shooting at old orange cans, he was confident he could hit the kidnapper.
Incredibly, Owen hit the kidnapper twice—once between the eyes and once on the chest. “He was swearing and yelling,” Owen told The Washington Post.
The kidnapper ran off, leaving Owen’s sister unharmed. Though she was shaken by the incident, she was safe, all thanks to her brave and quick-thinking brother.
When they got home, the siblings called their mother, who had been helping a relative during the incident. As soon as she heard what happened, she rushed home and contacted the police.
Michigan State Police quickly found the suspected kidnapper. Though they didn’t release his name, they said he was a 17-year-old who would be charged as an adult.
Lt. John Grimshaw praised Owen, saying, “He really is the one that… I believe saved his sister’s life or kept something very bad from happening to her.” He called Owen’s actions “extraordinary.”
Grimshaw explained that the kidnapper “came from behind her, grabbed her like you see in the movies — hand over her mouth, arm around her waist — and tried to pull her into the woods.”
Owen’s mom, Maggie Burns, didn’t believe his story about hitting the kidnapper in the eyes and chest, but the police confirmed it was true.
According to a police press release, “[The suspect] had clear signs of injuries that matched the ones he would have gotten from the slingshot hits to his head and chest.”
“You said I always lie!” Owen told his mother.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” she answered. “It didn’t seem real until there was proof. It sounds like something you’d see in the movies.”
“Mom,” the teenager replied, “things from the movies can really happen in real life.”
Owen is truly a hero. His bravery in protecting his little sister has been praised by everyone in the community. Well done, young man.
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