A seven year old boy’s quick thinking saved his parents, and likely his little sister’s, lives early Tuesday morning when armed gunmen broke into his Southern California home. The little boy, Carlos, grabbed his sister and ran into the bathroom with the phone, locking the door behind him.
He then dialed 9-1-1 and informed the operator that “There’s some guy who’s going to kill my mom and dad,” then breathlessly demanded: “Bring cops. A lot of them!… And soldiers, too.” Though terrified, the little boy bravely pulled himself together when the 9-1-1 operator asked him to stay on the line and describe the attackers. Then there was a crash as the suspects broke into the bathroom, and a scream.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Steve Kenny says that, at this point, the suspects grabbed the boy and asked him who he called. Showing a levelheadedness that most adults might have had trouble finding in similar situations, he replied, “9-1-1.” The gunmen then fled without stealing anything or hurting the family. It might have easily gone very differently. Sheriff’s Captain Pat Maxwell told Fox News that “If not for the brave and educated actions of the 7 year old boy, this might have ended tragically.
Teaching children how to dial 9-1-1 is incredibly important, as this story shows us. Not only is it important to help children memorize the emergency phone number and their own address to tell the dispatcher, practicing making an emergency call can help children remain calm in an actual emergency.
