5-year old Alabama boy survives bus shooting and kidnapping

"Ethan", age 5

A 5-year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome, named Ethan, was riding the bus home in Midland City, Alabama, when the driver stopped the bus at the end of a road to turn around.  That's when a mentally-unstable loner with a history of making violent threats, Jimmy Lee Dykes, age 65, boarded the bus with a gun, demanding to take two boys hostage.

The bus driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., heroically blocked the way, despite threats of being killed, allowing time for many of the kids on the bus to exit the rear door.  Dykes then shot Poland to death and kidnapped young Ethan.  Poland was one of Dykes' few friends.

Dykes then took Ethan to an underground shelter that was booby-trapped with bombs.  What followed was a 6-day standoff with law enforcement, during which Dykes became increasingly unstable.

On the sixth day, when Dykes opened the trap door to get some requested items, a team moved in and a firefight took place.  Dykes was killed.

Ethan was physically unharmed.  He turned six years old only a couple days later.

From an article:

The subject was 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes, who boarded a school bus last Tuesday afternoon, killed the driver and took the boy into a bunker he had installed in his backyard. 

Neighbors speculated that Mr. Dykes had kidnapped the boy as part of a scheme to air his thoughts and grievances on a larger platform, and at a news conference earlier Tuesday, Sheriff Wally Olson of Dale County acknowledged that to be a major motive. ... 

For some time, officials had been able to monitor movements within the bunker using high-tech surveillance equipment, said two people who had been briefed on the operation. They had also built a mock-up of the bunker nearby, where the authorities could test various options while devising a rescue plan. 

On Monday afternoon, sensing that Mr. Dykes was becoming rattled and that the threat to the boy was growing, the authorities dropped two devices into the bunker that created loud explosions, heard by people across a highway. The explosions disoriented Mr. Dykes, and immediately afterward two or three members of the F.B.I. Hostage Rescue Team went into the bunker and retrieved the child. Mr. Dykes was killed. 

Ethan and his mother were relieved to be reunited, Mr. Richardson said. “He’s laughing, joking, playing, eating — the things that you would expect a normal 5- to 6-year-old young man to do. He’s very brave. He’s very lucky.”

.

Minnesota toddler taken by father with gun

A 17 month old Minnesota toddler was taken by her father who was armed with a gun. From an article:

Police say a toddler who was taken by her armed, non-custodial father in St. Louis Park has been found safe.

Authorities say the father took the 17-month-old girl from her home and assaulted the child's mother Thursday night. The woman told police he was armed with a pistol and threatened to kill the girl and himself.

21-month girl and 6-month boy held by homicidal father in California

Maaliyah Green (left, 21 months) and Zyler Green (right, 6 months) 

A man named Michael Lajun Green and his ex-girlfriend met at a hotel in Studio City, California, to reconcile after having domestic problems and separating.  Their two young children, 21-month old Maaliyah Green and 6-month old Zyler Green were in the room with them.


But an argument broke out and Green shot his girlfriend in the head and fled with the two children.  Though critically wounded, the ex-girlfriend was able to call 911 and was taken to the hospital where she is in stable condition.  The bullet had not penetrated her skull.


Police eventually caught up with Green and the children at Green's cousin's home and took him into custody.  The children are unharmed.


Green had previously plead guilty to a domestic violence charge and at one time was under a restraining order.


HERE is a link to an article and news footage.

Four Brooklyn teens arrested for robbery and sexual assault

Four teens, ages 18, 17, 17, and 13, broke into a Brooklyn apartment and tied up the couple living there, at gunpoint. The female was sexually assaulted, and then many items were stolen. All four have since been arrested. The 13-year old was unarmed.

(article)

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

11-year old girl kidnapped at gunpoint and survives shooting of abductor

Taylor Vo, age 11

11-year old Taylor Vo was at home when her mother's ex-boyfriend, Tri Truon Le, burst into her home, firing several shots while abducting Taylor.

From an article:

Kevin Nguyen, Taylor's uncle, said he saw Le walk into the family's home early Friday morning.
"To my surprise he had a gun to my dad's head and he was making his way upstairs asking for my sister, but she wasn't home," Nguyen said.
When Le found out his ex wasn't there, he grabbed Taylor, Nguyen said. He surmised that Le was using the young girl as a hostage to get to his old flame. Nguyen said his sister and Le dated for a year or two before breaking up a few months ago.
....


He sped away in a dark minivan, disappearing and triggering an Amber Alert after police were called.
Authorities identified Le as the suspect in the kidnapping and said he had a criminal history of domestic violence and driving while under the influence.

One might wonder how a man with a history of domestic violence managed to get a gun.

At 12:15 p.m., officers from the San Jose police special operations tracked [Le] down. They quickly surrounded a two-story green-and-beige townhouse in the 3400 block of Pistachio Drive off Senter Road.
As officers set up a command post to see if they could get him to peacefully surrender, the suspect appeared in the window of the townhome with the girl in his arms and fired a handgun at officers.
The officers went into instant hostage rescue mode. They forced open the townhome front door.
Le was still holding the girl in his arms at the top of the stairs when he began firing at the officers. Jimenez fired back with his assault rifle, without hitting the girl, and killed the man.

Taylor was returned home without injury.

Update (1/26/12): Apparently the shooter was shooting blanks.

4-month old kidnapped at gunpoint by father, who shoots relative

4-month old A’mia Neveah Phillips was the center of a custody dispute between the girl's mother and father, 19-year old Jeremy Phillips, in Detroit.

(relevant articles HERE and HERE)

The baby was in the care of the mother when Phillips forced his way into the home and kidnapped the baby, shooting the mother's cousin four times before escaping with the baby.

An amber alert was issued, and police eventually took the man into custody at an apartment complex. The baby is safe. The injured cousin is in critical condition.