Girl, 5, calls 911 after parents shot dead

[Bob]

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Florida (AP) -- As her parents lay mortally wounded, a 5-year-old girl called 911, telling an emergency dispatcher, "I think they're dead."

Police said Aeneas and Julie Hernlen were shot to death early Monday by a man who mistakenly believed the couple had turned him in for drug possession. Their daughter was not harmed.

Investigators said the gunman, David Edward Johnson, 33, committed suicide later Monday. The Hernlens had nothing to do with his drug arrest last year, authorities said.

The girl first told the dispatcher that she saw a bullet on the floor, her father was bleeding and he "fell off the bed."

When the dispatcher, Donna Choufani, asked where her mother was, the child answered, "She is, I don't know, I think they're dead."

"What do you mean sweetheart?," Choufani asked calmly.

"I don't know," the child replied.

The operator told her someone would come over to her house and asked the girl if anyone else was home, her age and her pets -- a dog and three cats.

At one point, Choufani asked, "Are you the only one there besides Mommy and Daddy?

Said the child: "Well, I said `Mommy' and `Daddy,' and they didn't even answer."

"Can you send a deputy down here?" she said at another point. The dispatcher instructed the girl to unlock her front door.

Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson praised the girl's composure and Choufani's professionalism.

"She was an amazing little girl," Johnson said Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "The information she gave us and the manner she gave it to us, we wish we could get that out of adults."

The sheriff said other relatives are caring for the girl.

The child gave details on the cars parked outside and the color of the house, telling Choufani, "it's yellow, all yellow house, of green, green with it, a little bit of green, and a pink door." Her mom picked the door's color, the girl said.

"You are so smart for 5 years old," Choufani told her. "Wow!"

[Mikey]

damn, she is one smart 5 year old

[Josie]

cnn played the tape..the girl was amazingly calm..but you could tell she was frightened,and it was heartbreaking. :careface:

[Mikey]

damn...i def. wouldn't be calm at all if i saw my parents dead.

[sws4420]

She's 5. I'm sure she didn't have a firm grasp on what was really happening. And yes, I know she said 'I think they're dead', but what little kid can really wrap their mind around that?

[dan]

Oh won't you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame St...

Morning kids, today's show is brought to you by the numbers 9-1-1, and the letters R.I.P.

YAY!!!!

[Crystal]

Dan you are awful :rolleyes:

[Josie]

She's 5. I'm sure she didn't have a firm grasp on what was really happening. And yes, I know she said 'I think they're dead', but what little kid can really wrap their mind around that?
I didnt think a 5 year old would say Deputy...either. more like" policeman,cop,pig...etc.. lol

[sws4420]

Half of this site doesn't know the word Deputy.

[dan]

I shot the Sheriff.

[dan]

I shot the Sheriff.

But I didn't shoot the...um..his partner.

[Queenie]

But I did not shot the Deputy.....

[dan]

But I did not shot the Deputy.....

I didn't shot him either. I did shoot him though. :whistle:

p.s. tooooo slow.

[Queenie]

I didn't shot him either. I did shoot him though. :whistle:

p.s. tooooo slow.



I'm working here, cut me some slack.... :whistle:

[dan]

I'm working here, cut me some slack.... :whistle:

So am I.

[Queenie]

Ok, so you were just faster then me..... :byetears:

[Josie]

Half of this site doesn't know the word Deputy.
Yeah,and half of us would answer the door naked too, smart little girl got some clothes on :laughing:



911 TRANSCRIPT

This is the transcript of the Monday morning 911 call 5-year-old Tia Hernlen made after she found her mother dead or dying and father badly hurt in the bedroom of their New Smyrna Beach home:

OPERATOR: 911, what is your emergency?
CHILD:Um, hello.
OPERATOR: Hello. Is everything OK?
CHILD: My mommy and daddy
OPERATOR: Uh-huh.
CHILD: I think there is a bullet on the floor.
OPERATOR: And the what?
CHILD: And there is blood, coming out of my dad's mouth and he fell off the bed.
OPERATOR: He did? Where's mommy at?
CHILD: She is, I don't know, I think they're dead.
OPERATOR: What do you mean sweetheart?
CHILD: I don't know.
OPERATOR: OK, your daddy's on the floor. How old are you?
CHILD: I'm 5 years old and I have a dog in a house.
OPERATOR: OK baby, OK. Let me get someone right over to you. Did you, did you go in your mommy and daddy's room?
CHILD: Uh-huh, and there is blood.
OPERATOR: All over the place?
CHILD: Not all over. There's blood on the plant and blood on the floor.
OPERATOR: Oh my goodness and you have your little doggie with you?
CHILD: And three cats.
OPERATOR: And three cats too?
CHILD: Three cats and one dog.
OPERATOR: OK, are you the the only one there besides mommy and daddy?
CHILD: Well I said "Mommy" and "Daddy" and they didn't even answer.
OPERATOR: OK, OK, what I want you to do honey. I want you to stay on the phone with me. What is your name?
CHILD: (tells operator her name)
OPERATOR: Oh that is a very pretty name.
CHILD: (blocked out)
OPERATOR: Oh, I'm so sorry, that is a beautiful name. What is your doggie's name?
CHILD: Lizzah
OPERATOR: OK, and what made you wake up tonight?
CHILD: There was, I think I heard a gunshot.
OPERATOR: You heard a gun?
CHILD: Yes, and I see a bullet lying on the floor. I think it's a bullet.
OPERATOR: Really!
CHILD: Mmm-hmm
OPERATOR: Who has a gun in the house?
CHILD: I don't see a gun but I'm scared.
OPERATOR: Oh sweetheart! . . . I will not let anything happen to you.
CHILD: Can you send a deputy down here?
OPERATOR: I promise I will . . . and you're only 5 years old?
CHILD: Mmm-hmm
OPERATOR: You are so smart for 5 years old. Wow! . . . are you off from school this week?
CHILD: Um, no, I go to school next year.
OPERATOR: You do? Oh my gosh, you're not even in kindergarten yet?
CHILD: Nope.
OPERATOR: Oh, what's your doggie's name?
CHILD: Lizzah
OPERATOR: Lizzah, what kind of doggie is she?
CHILD: She's a lab.
OPERATOR: Oh my God, I love those. Those are so beautiful. Is she a black lab or is she a yellow lab?
CHILD: A black lab.
OPERATOR: Oh, you are so smart.
CHILD: With, um, brown eyes.
OPERATOR: Oh my goodness, how old is she?
CHILD: She is like 3 years old, or, 2 years old, I don't really know.
OPERATOR: Wow! . . . You can remember for a really long time.
CHILD: Yup.
OPERATOR: Oh my goodness. Was there anybody else in the house tonight besides you and mommy and daddy tonight? Like an uncle or anything?
CHILD: No, there's no robber in the house.
OPERATOR: OK, well I didn't think there would be a robber sweetheart. Did you have anybody staying over the night with you guys tonight?
CHILD: Nnn- nnn
OPERATOR: OK. So and the doors are all locked? And everything like that . . . Where are you in the house?
CHILD: Well, I was in my room sleeping till I heard a noise shot and it woke me up.
OPERATOR: Oh my goodness. Uh, what part of the house are you in at now?
CHILD: I'm in the one, it's yellow, all yellow house, of green, green with it, a little bit of green, and a pink door.
OPERATOR: Oh my goodness, that sounds really cool. Did you pick out the pink door?
CHILD: Um, no, my mom picked out the door.
OPERATOR: Look, I bet you that is beautiful. Does mommy and daddy have a car in the driveway?
CHILD: Mmm-hmm, two cars.
OPERATOR: Two cars? What kind of cars do they have?
CHILD: Umm, my mom has a Toyota
OPERATOR: What color is that Toyota?
CHILD: Umm
OPERATOR: Is it dark, or grey, or silver?
CHILD: It's um red.
OPERATOR: Red? OK, what kind of car does daddy have?
CHILD: He has a Jeep. It's black and . . .
OPERATOR: OK, listen to me (name). Is your phone the type that you can take with you and walk around?
CHILD: Um, this . . .
OPERATOR: There should be an officer at your front door. I need for you to take your phone with you and walk over to the door and open it for me, OK? And I will stay on the phone with you, OK?
CHILD: But um . . .
OPERATOR: I will not hang up.
CHILD: I'm naked.
OPERATOR: Oh, well do you want to grab a towel or something? I don't think the officer's going to care baby. We just want to make sure that mommy and daddy are OK, all right?
CHILD: Mmm-hmm.
OPERATOR: Grab a blanket or something. Stay on the phone with me, stay on the phone, alright?
CHILD: OK.
OPERATOR: My name is Donna, by the way. You are doing a wonderful job (blocked), wonderful job.
CHILD: And I know what to do for (incoherent)
OPERATOR: You did great!
CHILD: I knew
OPERATOR: You were wonderful, absolutely wonderful. You should be very proud of yourself.
CHILD: I'm to the door, I'm unlocking it.
OPERATOR: OK, you let me know when the officer talks to you. OK you go ahead (blocked), talk to the officer.
OFFICER: (background) You talking to the dispatcher? OK, tell her I'm here now and you can hang up.
OPERATOR: Bye sweetheart.
CHILD: Um, he's here.
OPERATOR: OK sweetheart, you be good, OK? Bye-bye.

[Queenie]

What a smart little girl...

[Crystal]

I feel so bad for her jesus. Definetly smart though.