What happened after the attempted kidnapping?
At the time of the incident, Ken’Adi’s mother had just walked inside their home to put away some groceries.
“It’s forever etched in our minds—that scream,” recalls Mandie. “So it’ll always be with us.”
Ken’Adi’s dad, Ricky, was also home and as soon as he found out what had happened, the vigilant father hopped in his car to follow the man.
“I chased him like he still had my kid,” said the father. “Definitely didn’t want him to be able to go snatch another kid.”
Thankfully, police caught and arrested McPherson, and he has been charged with gross sexual imposition and abduction, according to GMA.
What Can Parents Do to Prevent Future Kidnapping?
According to NCMEC, experts suggest teaching your child to model it after how the 6-year-old saved herself. And teaching these skills from a young age is best.
“Start with things like walking through your neighborhood, pointing out which houses your child could go to in an emergency, what their neighbors’ names are, what their parents’ full names are, what phone number and what home address they have,” explained Walsh. “These are things that you can teach your young kids, the basics of child safety, but of course, as they get older, so should the messaging. Make sure when you start young that it’s simple, it’s easy for kids to understand and it’s not overwhelming.”
Numerous new outlets have picked up the story and parents have chimed on other safety tips. ABC posted this clip to TikTok, which has been shared by more than 32,000 users.
@abc7la A 6-year-old girl in Ohio is speaking out for the first time since she saved herself from an apparent kidnapping attempt right outside her home. #news #abc7la #abc7eyewitness #kidnap #kidnapping #ohio #exclusive ♬ original sound – ABC7LA
Parents commenting on the TikTok post suggested things such as “In this day you need to watch children at all times.”
Another user suggested that kids yell out “I don’t know this guy!”
Maci Wescott said, “The #1 way to survive any abduction whether child or adult is to get loud, scream, and FIGHT BACK! Don’t let them get you into a car or another locale.”
And finally, a concerned TikTok user posted, “Never ever let a six-year-old or any child go outside by themselves.”
Do you have other tips to teach kids that can help them avoid being kidnapped? Share them with us!