An incident similar to a famous story about a little boy who defeated a giant occurred in a town in Michigan. Are you familiar with the story of David and Goliath, wherein a little boy defeated a giant using a single stone on a slingshot? This modern-day story happened in May 2023 and did not involve an army of fighters but only a boy with a slingshot who saved his younger sister from imminent danger.
Instinctively, older siblings protect the younger ones when they are in danger. A 13-year-old boy named Owen Burns protected his 8-year-old sister, who was facing a threat in the woods near their property. It was an ordinary day when his sister went hunting for mushrooms in the woods near their backyard. However, a peaceful day was shattered when a 17-year-old male stranger emerged and attempted to kidnap her. Owen immediately came to her aid when he heard his sister’s screams. His only weapon? A slingshot.
With sheer determination, Owen positioned himself at his bedroom window and aimed at the assailant, who was merely 200 feet away. He fired off a marble, followed by a rock. With precision that can surpass the skill of a champion archer, the marble and the stone hit the kidnapper. The first one hit his head, and the second went straight for his chest. It was the perfect moment for his sister to run to safety. “I shot him in the head and chest, and she started running,” Owen recounted, his words underscoring the gravity of the moment and the weight of his actions.
The kidnapper, marked by Owen’s precise shots, fled into the woods. However, he was caught sometime later by Michigan State Troopers. It was easy to identify him since the shots made by Owen marked him. The assailant was charged with attempted kidnapping, among other various offenses. His arrest brought closure to the Burns family, who are now safe. It was a moment of victory for Owen, his family, and the community. He displayed an act of bravery in the face of fear.
The sheriff gave full credit to Owen alone for his sister’s rescue. “What he did helped us to identify who the suspect was because obviously he had injuries from getting hit with a slingshot, and those were things that helped us evidentiary-wise to identify who it was, so that was very valuable too,” proclaimed Lt. John Grimshaw in a news interview.
Quarrels among siblings are a norm of family life. However, their bond is unbreakable, especially in situations of imminent threat. Owen’s precise shots using a simple slingshot, which is similar to the scene when David faced Goliath, is a perfect example of extraordinary achievement when a person’s determination is fueled by the desire to protect a family member. Owen is recognized by the community as their hero for saving his younger sister, and his story has reached far beyond the limits of his Michigan hometown.
▼ Watch the video below as Owen recalls how he saved his sister from an attempted kidnapping:
Screenshot images and Video credits: © NBC News/YouTube
