A Michigan boy fended off a would-be kidnapper by wounding him with a slingshot

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Authorities applauded the actions of a 13-year-old Michigan boy, who shot a would-be kidnapper with a slingshot. / Getty Images

A 13-year-old Michigan boy is being credited with saving his sister's life after he fended off a would-be kidnapper by shooting him with a slingshot.

According to a news release from the state police, an 8-year-old girl in Alpena Township in Northern Michigan was hunting for mushrooms in her yard earlier this month when a 17-year-old boy appeared from the woods nearby.

The boy covered the girl's mouth and attempted to kidnap her. The girl's 13-year-old brother witnessed the attack and ran over. That's when he shot the would-be kidnapper with a slingshot, hitting him in the head and chest and causing him to flee.

Michigan State Police First Lieutenant John Grimshaw called the boy's actions "extraordinary" and said he likely prevented his sister from being harmed further during the May 10 incident.

"He really is the one that I believe saved his sister's either life or from something seriously bad happening to her," Grimshaw said at a news conference.

Police later found the suspect hiding at a nearby gas station suffering from injuries consistent with being hit by a slingshot.

"What [the 13-year-old boy] did also 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," Grimshaw added.

Authorities charged the 17-year-old with one count of attempted kidnapping/child enticement, one count of attempted assault to do great bodily harm less than murder, and one count of assault and battery.

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