A chilling audio recording of seven-year-old Oaklynn Alexander pleading with her father not to kill her during a standoff with police has gone viral on social media. In the recording, Oaklynn is heard telling her father, “I don’t want to go to heaven today.” The incident occurred in Ohio, US, and ended with Oaklynn being safely recovered by police.
The standoff began on November 11 when Oaklynn’s father, Charles Ryan Alexander, 43, a non-custodial parent, kidnapped her from her grandmother’s home in Jefferson County, according to a New York Post report. An Amber Alert was issued, and police pursued Alexander, who fled with his daughter. Officers deployed tire deflation devices to stop his vehicle in a parking lot, leading to the tense standoff.
During the confrontation, Alexander, armed with a gun, threatened to harm both himself and his daughter. A 911 call captured Oaklynn pleading, “Please don’t,” while Alexander warned, “I will shoot us both, stand back!” He also addressed Oaklynn’s mother, saying, “If you’re listening, Ashley, you should’ve called.”
In the recording, Oaklynn asks, “Am I going to heaven?” After her father responds, she says, “I don’t want to go to heaven today.” Alexander replied, “I didn’t want it to happen either; I just wanted to talk to your mother.”
Police intervened during the standoff, with officers and dispatchers attempting to de-escalate the situation. “I know you didn’t want to hurt [your daughter], and you didn’t want it to be like this,” an officer told Alexander. Ultimately, police fatally shot Charles Alexander. Oaklynn, though a witness to the incident, was unharmed and returned to her family.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to assist Oaklynn and her mother with expenses related to the traumatic event, according to the New York Post.