A 5-year-old boy from Chattanooga, Tenn., made a heartbreaking call to the police on Sunday telling the dispatcher that “my daddy and my mama got shot.”
The boy, who seemed too young to know his address, calmly tells the dispatcher that “this dude shot ’em” and asks her to “tell the police officers to come.”
The police found George Dillard, 24, and Lakita Hicks, 25, dead in the house, according to News Channel 9. They say the child, who remains unnamed, is unharmed and is currently with extended family.
The boy remained on the phone with the dispatcher for more than a minute, as she repeatedly reassured him that help was on the way. When asked by the dispatcher whether his parents were talking, the child replied, “No. They dead.”
The boy’s father, Dillard, was a gang member, but police have not said whether the shooting was gang related and have not released information about a suspect, reports the Times Free Press.
“We have dual concerns here,” said Chief Fred Fletcher with the Chattanooga Police Department reports New Channel 9, “finding the people who committed this atrocious act of violence and making sure we help the people who have survived it and are affected by it.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Caitlin Clark Is TIME's 2024 Athlete of the Year
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com