HENRICO, Va. (WTVR)--A Henrico teen risked his own life to save others from a burning building and now he's being called a Christmas day hero.
Keon Whitted is used to being honored, because he’s on the honor roll, but he isn’t used to being called a hero. He was honored by the Henrico County School Board tonight for potentially saving multiple lives on Christmas day.
Whitted was riding past the Coventry Gardens apartments with his mom when he jumped out of the car and ran into a burning apartment building to rescue those inside.
The Henrico Fire Department says 16 people were inside the building at the time. One resident heard him knocking, and ignored him until she heard him yelling—“Fire.”
In a twist-of-fate, it turned out that woman is a relative of Whitted’s teacher at the Academy at Virginia Randolph.
Whitted told CBS 6 that because of that experience, he knows what he wants do when he graduates this spring—become a firefighter.
Whitted will also be honored by the Henrico County Board of Supervisors next month.
