13-Year-Old Michigan Boy Uses Slingshot to Stop Sister’s Kidnapping

Thirteen-year-old Owen Burns from Alpena Township, Michigan, was about to settle in for a round of Call of Duty: Black Ops II when he heard his 8-year-old sister screaming outside. Looking out the window, he saw something terrifying—a man dragging her into the woods.

Without hesitating, Owen grabbed his $3 slingshot and sprang into action. He fired a marble and a rock, striking the suspect in the forehead and chest. The man—later identified as a 17-year-old—ran off, giving Owen’s sister a chance to escape.

Owen and his sister immediately called their mom, who contacted the police. Michigan State Police later arrested the suspect, who is being charged as an adult. Officers said he had injuries that matched the slingshot attack.

“Owen saved his sister’s life or at the very least kept her from something seriously bad happening to her,” said Lt. John Grimshaw, calling the teen’s quick thinking “extraordinary.”

At first, Owen’s mom couldn’t believe what had happened. “Stuff in the movies can and do happen in real life,” Owen told her.

His courage has earned praise from across the country—and a reminder that heroes sometimes come in small packages, armed with slingshots and quick instincts.