911 Rifle is the first story from the ninth episode of Season 1, which aired on October 31, 1989 on CBS. It was briefly recapped on the Season 1 Highlights Special from May 8, 1990. It was later rebroadcast as the first story from the sixteenth episode of Season 5, a kid heroes compilation episode which aired on January 25, 1994. It airs in syndication on Episode 171S: 911 Rifle; De-Fib Phone.
Story[]
Danny Jr. and Georgia Troy of Indianapolis, Indiana, thought they had prepared their two children, eleven-year-old Danny III and eight-year-old Deseree, well in the event of an emergency. They had taught them how to call 911. They had strict rules against playing outside or having visitors over when they were left alone. But they could never have imagined the sort of tragedy that would occur on August 1, 1989.
That afternoon, Danny III and Deseree were home alone watching television while Danny Jr. and Georgia were at work. Georgia called around 3pm to check on them and they told her everything was fine. A little later, three kids from the neighborhood knocked on the door―Danny III's best friend, Paul, and two friends of Deseree's - a seven-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl.[1] They knew they were not allowed to have visitors, but they let their friends in, and everyone watched television.
Danny III and Paul wandered into Danny Jr. and Georgia's bedroom, where Paul spotted a rifle leaning against the wall and picked it up. Danny III told him to leave it alone, as it belonged to his father. Danny Jr. kept it accessible in case he ever needed to protect himself or his family. It had been standing in the corner for so long that it had become part of the scenery.
Paul ignored him and cocked the rifle twice, ejecting two bullets. Then he found the chamber and loaded them. Deseree and her friends came in to see what Danny III and Paul were doing and climbed onto Danny Jr. and Georgia's bed. Again, Danny III told Paul to put the rifle down. 'C'mon, cock it twice," he said to Danny III, "then we'll put it down." "Stop it, Danny," said Deseree, "Put the gun down." She didn't like to see Danny III and Paul playing with it. But the younger boy was enthralled. "Put it down," Deseree told him again. To appease Paul, Danny III cocked it twice and loaded the bullets in the chamber. He set it down, then he and Paul left the room.
Now the younger boy wanted a turn with the rifle. He picked it up and tried to cock it like Danny III and Paul had done. Danny III ran back into the room and yelled at him to put it down. But before he could, he accidentally fired it. Danny III looked around frantically to see what the bullet had struck. He was sure it had hit a wall. Then he noticed Deseree. She was lying on the bed, bleeding, for she had just been shot. While the other terrified children ran out of the house (with the six-year-old girl running to get help),[1] Danny III dialed 911. His call was answered by 911 dispatcher Denisa Stevenson. She recalls the panic in his voice. "My sister's been shot! I think she's dying!" he said.
While police and fire units were dispatched to the scene, Stevenson tried to calm Danny III and keep him on the line. He was frightened and wanted to call Georgia at work, but Stevenson instructed him not to hang up. "What's your sister doing?" she asked. Deseree had climbed off the bed. Danny III told Stevenson that she was trying to walk to him. Stevenson instructed him to make her lay down and be still. The phone reached to her, so he put the receiver to her ear and Stevenson instructed her to lay still and reassured her that help was on the way.
Officers Ron Burgess, Jr. and Greg Weber arrived within minutes and knew the situation was critical when they saw Deseree lying in a pool of blood. Paramedic Supervisor Norman Hockley arrived moments later and examined her. He was astonished that she was still alive, considering her extensive blood loss.
Deseree was rushed to Wishard Hospital, where a pediatric surgeon performed emergency surgery. The most critical part of her wound was where the bullet had entered the right side of her abdomen and exited the left side of her chest. She had sustained extensive liver damage and a ruptured spleen. The doctor told Danny Jr. and Georgia that she had a 5 percent chance of surviving.
When Danny III was allowed to see Deseree in the hospital, the first thing he said to her was, "I love you." "I love you, too," she gestured. By all odds, she should never have made it. But she made a miraculous comeback, and less than two months after the accident, she entered the third grade, a normal, healthy girl. "It's hard to talk about this sometimes," she said, "because it makes me remember how many times it's happened to other kids, and they've died, and I survived. I thought I was going to die, but I kept on pushing and pushing for myself." She is most appreciative of Danny III. "When they told me Danny saved my life, I wanted to jump up and run to him and hug him," she said, "If he didn't call 911, I would have died on the floor."
Since the accident, Danny Jr. and Georgia's attitude about guns have changed. Danny Jr. used to think that having one protected his family. Now he realized it almost cost him Deseree's life.
In other media[]
"911 Rifle" is one of the 81 stories featured in the book Rescue 911: Extraordinary Stories by Linda Maron. It was also included in Rescue 911: Kid Heroes by Alison Hendrie under the title "Girl Shot By Her Own Dad's Gun".
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fahy, Joe. 1989-08-02. "'My sister's been shot,' police told". The Indianapolis News. Pp. D1,D5.
| Rescue 911 episodes |
|---|