A Hero In Recovery: Here’s What The Korean Flight Attendant Actually Did During The Violent Stabbing In Downtown LA

A Korean flight attendant is being heralded as a hero after risking her life to save a nine-year-old boy.

On November 16, a man attacked a nine-year-old boy at a Target store in downtown Los Angeles. Although the motive is unknown, according to police reports, a homeless man took a nine-inch butcher knife from the store, confronting the young boy and reportedly telling him “he was going to stab him and kill him.”

Initial footage of the incident | ABC

The young boy is reportedly beginning physical therapy and his family is confident “he will get through this.”

In initial news coverage, the police reported that the suspect stabbed the child in the back before stabbing the 25-year-old flight attendant. The man was then fatally shot by a security guard.

However, Lizzette Molina, a cousin of the young boy, reported that the woman actually “intervened to save my cousin’s life.”

It’s been said that the 25-year-old woman who was stabbed in the chest intervened to save my cousin’s life. God bless her soul. My prayers go out to her and my heart to her family.

— Lizzette Molina via KTLA

A trauma nurse at USC who helped treat the woman after the incident corroborated the story.

The local news reports made it sound like the boy and the woman were two separate victims of the stabbing, but the woman was actually attacked after she stepped in to protect the boy. It’s evident from her wound that she was trying to guard someone else.

— Trauma nurse at USC via Korea Daily

Footage of police outside the Target | ABC

The nurse also explained that the woman wrapped the boy in her arms when the perpetrator started chasing after him. The woman was then stabbed over five times in the back, on her side, and above her chest. The nurse added that the woman had sustained some damage to her lungs, “risking her life” to save the boy.

The nurse recalled the woman as “young and courageous, and especially calm.” According to the nurse, “The woman, even as she arrived at the hospital, told me that she is doing okay and that we should be saving other more critical patients first.” The nurse added, “I’ve never seen an emergency patient so calm and posed.”

After the news of the flight attendant’s heroism surfaced, netizens voiced their immense admiration for her bravery and composure.

“What a hero, seriously! Wishing her a full recovery.”
“Such an incredible woman…”
“I really hope she’s receiving good treatment. I look forward to hearing about her full recovery on the news. She is unbelievable. What an incredible person…”
“I wish her nothing but the best. Both a full recovery and a safe return to her workplace. I know Korean Air is covering her treatment, but I hope they’ll also guarantee her career!”
“No wonder the best airline in the nation hired her. She’s something else.”
“Wishing her a full recovery…”
“What in the world?! I hope she gets well soon.”
“She’s so young, too. To have done what she did… It’s incredible.”
“Wow… She was stabbed but still looked after other people. How?! What an amazing human being… I hope she gets well soon.”
“I wish her a full recovery and a quick return back to her normal life.”
“That must not have been easy at all. She is such a hero… How unbelievable!”

The day after the incident, Target reportedly had at least five officers patrolling the store and the franchise issued a statement, reassuring customers that “Safety is our top priority.”

On Tuesday evening, an individual attacked multiple guests at our 7th & Figueroa store in Los Angeles. We can confirm that a third-party security guard intervened to stop the attack and the Los Angeles Police Department was quick to respond to the situation. Safety is our top priority and our hearts go out to the guests who were injured. We’re grateful for the aid provided by the Los Angeles Police Department and others, and we’re focusing on supporting our team in the wake of the incident. We’d refer additional questions to law enforcement.

— Target

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