A little boy from Alabama is being praised after saving his little sister from a carjacking.
Ethan Walker, 9, was with his mom Kristin Walker and 6-year-old sister Audrey on Jan. 7 when they stopped to get gas near U.S. Highway 411 and I-20, according to the Moody Police Department.
The siblings were in the backseat as Walker filled up the tank when a teen suspect approached with a gun. The suspect then jumped into the car’s driver’s seat and flashed his weapon at Walker, who is pregnant with her third child, while she attempted to fight him off.
“When the man jumped in the front seat, I lunged in on top of him and removed the keys. That’s when he pulled the gun on me,” she shared with PEOPLE.
Amid the craziness, Ethan was calm and was able to quickly leave the vehicle and get his sister to safety as well.
“As this was happening, her 9-year-old son, in what can only be described as an incredible act of bravery and composure, exited the rear driver’s side of the vehicle and ran around to the passenger side rear,” police said.
Ethan recalled the even to WBMA, an ABC affiliate, saying that he noticed the suspect was attempting steal the car once his mom began fighting back.
“I jumped out and went around and got Audrey out,” he said. After the kids were both safely out of the car — the suspect then drove away with their vehicle. They then were able to call police inside the gas station.
“I’m so proud of him for protecting our family,” Walker says. “God’s hand was on us. We are not victims. They may have taken our car, but we didn’t allow them to take anything else from us and we won’t. Our story is one of hope and positivity in a dark world.”
Police shared how Ethan’s bravery will be recognized by Chief Thomas Hunt at a later date and Ethan is “pretty excited” about it.
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“I think that’s going to help our family work through this,” Ethan’s mom told AL.com. His dad, Brian Walker, also praised his son’s quick actions.
“That calmness, at least a little bit, to be able to get over there and unbuckle the carseat without fumbling or freaking out to where he couldn’t get it done – he kept his composure and did a fantastic job,” he told WBMA.
Police said the two suspects, an 18-year-old and a 23-year-old both from Jackson, Mississippi, were located using the FLOCK camera system and other vehicle tag readers as they fled back into Mississippi from Alabama in the stolen car.
They were taken into custody by the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office “after a brief vehicle pursuit,” and both face multiple felony charges, including armed robbery and vehicle theft.
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