A school bus carrying 51 children was hijacked by the very man trusted to drive them safely home.
He took their phones, threatened to kill them, and poured gasoline inside the bus. But one 13-year-old boy was willing to risk his own safety to give everyone on board a chance to survive.
It happened near Milan, Italy, where the driver suddenly changed course and took the children hostage. Some were restrained with cable ties as he drove toward an unknown destination.
But 13-year-old Ramy Shehata had managed to keep a phone hidden. Pretending to pray, he secretly helped get a call out for help while the driver was nearby. One wrong move could have exposed him to the man threatening to kill everyone on board.
Police raced to intercept the bus and forced it to stop. But as officers moved in, the driver set the bus on fire. Police smashed the windows and desperately pulled children to safety as flames spread through the vehicle.
By the time the fire was extinguished, the bus was a burned-out shell. But miraculously, all 51 children had escaped alive.
Ramy was later granted Italian citizenship in recognition of his courage. He was just a schoolboy trying to get home, but when dozens of children were in danger, he found the courage to act.
Let’s give this young hero the recognition he deserves.