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‘The dude shot them’: 5-year-old calls 911 after witnessing parents’ murder

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‘The dude shot them’: 5-year-old calls 911 after witnessing parents’ murder
WATCH ABOVE: A five-year-old boy from Tennessee called 911 after witnessing his parents being fatally shot inside their family home – Feb 3, 2016

A five-year-old boy from Chattanooga, Tenn. called 911 after witnessing the fatal shooting of his parents inside their family home Sunday night.

“The dude shot them,” the child is heard in the voice recording released by Hamilton County.

According to The Washington Post, the boy was calm but blunt during the rest of the conversation:

“My daddy and my mama got shot,” the child said.

“You said your brother and your mama is doing what?” the dispatcher on the phone asked.

“My mama and my daddy got shot,” he repeated.

“They’re fighting?”

“No, this dude shot ’em.”

When police arrived at the home, they found George Dillard, 24, and Lakita Hicks, 25, dead.

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The boy was unharmed and is currently staying with family.

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The Times Free Press reports Dillard was a gang member, however, it’s not yet known if the incident was gang-related.

The Chattanooga Police Department said the incident should serve as a reminder of the importance for parents to teach their children when to call 911 – and how dispatchers should handle phone calls from young children.

“He was pretty calm when he called and [the dispatcher] kept him that way – kept him focused on her questions and making sure that he was safe,” Jeff Carney, the director of operations for Hamilton County, said to NBC News.

Officials say the boy’s quick thinking got him the help he needed in time and got him to safety faster.

“Can you tell me what colour your house?” the dispatcher asked the boy in the released recording.

“Um, brown.”

“Brown house? Do you have a car outside?”

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“My daddy car,” the boy answered.

“[The boy] did give us give information with the colour of his house, the location and the car, so he did really good,” Carney told NBC. “I’m really happy that he knew how to call 911.”

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