Originally published at: 13 year old brother uses slingshot to defend 8-year-old sister from would-be kidnapper | Boing Boing
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Slingshots are wicked! I completely believe it left wounds. Good brother.
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I always wanted a slingshot when I was a kid and I never did get one! I vaguely recall that we called them catapults on our side of the pond.
Truth. The hand-held Y-shaped tool was a catapult whereas in this land a catapult is more akin to a trebuchet or a siege onager
A sligshot back home was a long strap held at both ends and used to accelerate a rock held in the bend at great speed. Think David vs Goliath.
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Oh man I wanted a catapult so badly, but was never allowed one either. I remember the good ones, sold in tackle shops, had a brace over the forearm to counteract the tension of the elastic… sigh.
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Where I’m from we called those “wrist rockets.” My uncle had one. They were deadly. Literally. Used to use them to kill rats at the cabin.
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I remember those with that name too. Super powerful.
This kid is definitely a hero, but I cant help hoping that he hadn’t just been shooting birds and squirrels and such, especially in front of his sister. 
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But the little girl fought him off.
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But but… slingshot!
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Yeah, you can’t even buy them in NY state. My buddy tried to buy one for my son (he’s that kind of friend) and had to end up bringing one back from New Mexico.
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Ah yes, I recall such a beast from when I was young and stupid. Friend of mine was fishing, I was along to spectate, and I got bored. Started playing with the bait catapult, ended up targeting a tree stump with a small stone - only the stump was on the other side of the small lake next to another angler.
I do believe he was half-asleep, right up until I hit the stump dead on - the echoing thwack was a joy to hear, and at least he didn’t fall in or die when he jumped up…
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At the Bear Feast Funeral Games, held at the winter solstice, one of the games was a competition to see who could fire a brussel sprout the furthest, using a sling.
Anyway, kudos to the young dude with the catapult!
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We used to use conkers. Not in summer obviously
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So that’s why they’re called “the devil’s vegetable!”
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It’s a great story, but an 8-y-o defending his sister with a trebuchet would have been even better.
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All the cool kids had Black Widows, which are apparently still being made:
I was never allowed one, either.
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I always wanted a slingshot when I was a kid and I never did get one!
Me too. I wanted one of those nice Crossman ones with the little arm brace. Instead my dad made me one out of a Y tree branch. I still have it somewhere… I think… maybe?
Anyway - glad the kids made it out ok.When I was 7/8 (the article says both) “big kids” - kids in middle school or High School - were the things we did fear. There were stories of them beating up other kids. We never really thought about being kidnapped, though. What is going to happen to this 17 year old? He’s not OK and I cringe at the idea of our mental health or jucicial system helping him.
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During questioning, the suspect told police he planned to severely beat the girl. Police took the suspect to the Alpena County Jail to await charges.
Pretty chilling.
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The weapon you depicted here is better known as just a “sling” no shot about it. You might refer to the projectile as a shot, but normally it’d be a “bullet”
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Potato Tomato
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Really? Seriously? That’s what he was planning to do to that little girl?
I mean, yeah, maybe he was ALSO going to do that, and also maybe kill her, but I find it hard to believe rape wasn’t part of the original plan.
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