The once-festive atmosphere had curdled into panic as they realized the threat of a bomb held by a teenager. Evander now faced him, trying to negotiate, to persuade him to hand over the backpack presumed to contain explosives.
"Come here, kid. Give that to me," Evander requested, slowly stepping forward.
This only made the desperate-looking teenager step back. "Stay back! Or I'll press it!" he shouted, brandishing a small, single-button remote control in his hand. A wire connected it to the backpack he was clutching.
Seeing this, Evander grew more cautious, his mind racing. He searched for a way to disarm the explosive without harming the boy.
"Okay, I'm backing up," Evander said, raising his weapon and then placing it on the ground. He then retreated two steps while raising both hands
