Being held at gunpoint and used as a human shield as the suspect fired 20 shots at police would be a harrowing ordeal for anyone, let alone a 10-year-old boy.
Don’t tell that to Sincere Trammell, however, because this young man is quite the strong – and faithful – little guy. Not only did he survive the incident, he actually talked the unhinged gunman out of committing suicide, telling him that “God would give him a second chance at life.”
Things went bad quickly when 31-year-old Donald Gazaway, Jr. was apparently either on drugs or coming down from a high and demanding $10,000 from Sincere’s mother, who refused. When she did, Gazaway pointed a gun at her head.
Sincere witnessed all of this unfold.
“When I walked in there, I saw him having a gun to my mom’s head and kept saying give me $10,000 now,” Sincere said. He tried to get away, but the man chased him into his room “because he thought I had a phone, and then she (mom) ran out the door,” he added.
Authorities arrived shortly after, and that’s when the standoff began, which eventually lasted 30 hours. Most of the ordeal took place in the garage, with the door open, in single digit temps. When asked by a reporter how he kept calm, he indicated it was his faith that got him through. “I just knew God had me,” the 10-year-old said. Sincere was used several times as a human shield, including while the suspect fired rounds at SWAT members positioned outside.
As the standoff was winding down, Gazaway told the boy he thought his only option was to kill himself. That’s when Sincere likely saved Gazaway’s life, telling him that “his son and his two daughters wouldn’t like that, and that God would give him a second chance at life.”
It’s not every day you’ll find a 10-year-old, or anyone for that matter, willing to be as courageous as Sincere was during this standoff. You can see how calm he is even as he recalls the incident, and it’s remarkable:
According to Fox Carolina, as soon as police got the boy to safety, he sat with the team in the SWAT vehicle and enjoyed a doughnut.
Praise God this boy made it out alive and used this horrific kidnapping to stand firm and point people to God. Amazing!