An Auburn teenager 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 around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
“He crawled into the neighbor’s yard and lay down about four houses down and said, ‘I’m not going to die,’ and then he got up and ran home,” said his father, Derek.
Derek told KIRO 7 he did not want to release their full identities.
KIRO 7 obtained surveillance footage from a neighbor that shows approximately 30 shots being fired on F Street Southeast on June 29.
Derek remembers his son bursting into his room, covered in 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 a situation like that and even now that I’ve been in 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 a game of basketball when a man suddenly stopped and opened fire.
Talon was shot three times and another friend, a 16-year-old boy, was shot in the leg.
“Just saying, ‘Oh, our son was shot three times,’ is something I could never 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 tragic situations, his son always finds a way to laugh, Derek says.
“He jokes, you know. He jokes about the situation. He makes the doctors laugh,” Derek said.
Talon’s parents believe his spirit is helping him through his recovery.
“He’s a good kid, family oriented, he’s always there for his nieces, nephews and family and we just know he’s destined for better things,” Brittana said.
“Talon’s energy, his personality. Honestly, without him, as strong as he is, I don’t know if I could handle it where I’m at right now. I think everyone, Talon lifts everyone up,” Derek added.
Derek hopes to see more police patrols and better gun laws to protect children.
“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 either, and that’s just unfair,” he said.
Auburn police are still searching for the suspect.
If you would like to make a donation towards Talon’s recovery, click here for the GoFundMe.
