Not everyone can be brave in the face of danger, and certainly, no one expects it from children. They’re only just learning about the world and the kind of people in it, but a 12-year-old boy from North Carolina has proven that he won’t let anyone mess with him or his family. Two masked robbers entered the home of 73-year-old Linda on Saturday, around 1 am. They allegedly demanded money from her and subsequently shot her.
Ellis’s 12-year-old grandson then shot back at the intruders “in self-defense” and they fled the scene, according to police reports. Cops found one of the masked suspects, Khalil Herring, 19, at an intersection half a block from the house, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, the statement said.
“Preliminary evidence suggests Khalil Herring was one of the two masked intruders and was shot during the robbery,” police said. “A 12-year-old juvenile occupant of the residence shot at the suspects with a firearm in self-defense, causing them to flee the area.”
Ellis and Herring were both transferred to Wayne UNC Health Care in Goldsboro to be treated for their injuries. While Herring was later pronounced dead, the 73-year-old grandma had sustained only non-life-threatening injuries. She’s in a stable condition after being treated for her wounds and was given Monday, Feb 15, as the day to be discharged.
“They came in the house, I open the door, I open it, and they came in there. One guy had a gun. They just put me down on the ground… [Ellis] was in the kitchen, I don’t know why they shot her. [The intruder] just shot his grandma… He would have shot him too, he would’ve shot me too, he would’ve killed us all,” Bunn added of the 12-year-old boy’s actions.
Ellis’s great-niece Chiquita Coley added that she couldn’t believe what had happened when she received a call about the attempted robbery. “My phone was constantly ringing, and ringing and ringing,” Coley said. “I just couldn’t believe she been shot because she’s a good person. Why would somebody come into her house and do this? It’s got to stop,’ she continued, adding that her aunt was much loved in the community. I don’t know what they’re thinking around here in Goldsboro, but it’s got to stop.”
Charges against the 12-year-old “are not anticipated,” according to the police statement. However, investigations are still going on, as no arrests have been made with regards to the second suspect.