A seven-year-old Ohio girl pleaded with her father not to harm her during a tense standoff with police, saying, “I don’t want to go to heaven today.” On November 11, 2024, Charles Ryan Alexander, 43, abducted his daughter, Oaklynn, from her grandmother’s home in Ohio. Since Alexander did not have custody rights, authorities issued an alert, sparking a police chase that culminated in a parking lot confrontation in Ohio’s Medina County, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
In a release, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office stated, “The vehicle came to a stop in a business parking lot where law enforcement attempted to negotiate with the armed suspect. The suspect, Charles Ryan Alexander, communicated with several dispatch centres by telephone. Multiple gun shots were fired in an officer-involved shooting. Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene by the Medina County Coroner, Dr. Deranek.”
Audio from a 911 call captured the moments as Alexander, armed and agitated, threatened to end both his and his daughter’s lives. “I will shoot us both, stand back!” he screamed at officers, according to a report in The New York Post. In the background, Oaklynn’s desperate voice could be heard, pleading repeatedly, “Please don’t.”
In one exchange, Oaklynn asked her father, asking are they “both going to heaven.” Alexander responded, “We’ll both go?” to which the child cries out, “No! I don’t want to go to heaven today.”
Alexander, still clutching a gun, expressed frustration about the situation, saying, “I didn’t want it to happen either; I just wanted to talk to your mother.” He addressed Oaklynn’s mother directly during the call, stating, “If you’re listening, Ashley, you should’ve called.”
911 dispatchers worked frantically to defuse the situation. “Let’s not do anything we can’t undo,” one dispatcher said. Another added, “Just keep talking to her if you don’t want her to be scared. Let’s not do anything that is going to make it even more unfair to her, ‘cause you love her, I know you do.”
Despite these efforts, the situation escalated. At an unspecified point, police fired at Alexander, fatally wounding him. Oaklynn, although unharmed physically, watched the incident.
“The 7-year-old daughter was safely recovered from the scene and returned to family members without injury,” stated the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
The tragedy has sparked an outpouring of support for the young girl. A family friend has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of her care, mental health support and future needs.