‘I’m not gonna die,’: Auburn teen recovering after he was shot three times Saturday
Jul 3, 2024, 6:06 AM | Updated: 7:15 am
Exterior of Harborview Medical Center. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
An Auburn teen miraculously survives after being shot three times near his home.
The 15-year-old victim, Talon, is in the hospital recovering after a suspect opened fire on him and a group of friends last Saturday around 2:30 a.m.
“He crawled to neighbor’s yard and laid about four houses down from mine where he said, ‘I’m not gonna die’ and he got up and he ran home,” said his father, Derek.
Derek told KIRO 7 he did not want to share their full identity publicly.
KIRO 7 obtained a neighbor’s surveillance video where around 30 shots were fired on June 29th on F Street Southeast.
Derek recalls when his son barged into his room with blood everywhere.
“He pushed my hand away and that’s when I saw the bullet hole in his face,” Derek added. “You never know what you’re going to do in that situation and even now that I’ve been through that situation, I still don’t know what I would do.”
Derek told KIRO 7 that Talon was walking with three other friends to play some basketball down the street when they say a man randomly pulled up and opened fire.
Talon was struck three times and another friend, a 16-year-old boy, was shot in the leg.
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“To even say ‘Oh our son was shot 3 times’ that’s like something I would never even imagine saying,” said Talon’s mother, Brittania.
She said Talon was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after being shot in the face, back and thigh.
“His will to survive is amazing but not only that, he has such a light spirit about him,” she added.
Even in a tragic situation, Derek says his son always finds a way to smile.
“He’s making jokes, you know. He’s making jokes about the situation. He’s making the doctors laugh,” Derek said.
Talon’s parents believe his spirit is pushing him through his recovery.
“He’s a good kid, family-oriented, always there for his cousins and family and we just know he’s destined for better things,” Brittana said.
“Talon’s energy, his personality. Like honestly, without him, being as strong as he’s being. I don’t know if I’d be handling it at the point that I am. I think everybody, Talon is just uplifting everybody,” Derek added.
Derek hopes there can be more police patrols and better gun laws in place to keep kids safe.
“I can’t have him in a place where he doesn’t feel safe, you know, and he can’t feel safe in his own home and that’s just unfair,” he said.
Auburn police are still searching for the suspect.
If you’d like to help donate to Talon’s recovery, click here for the GoFundMe.
