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A new petition calls on the White House to pay tribute to one of the members of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The victims were buried with all the military honors to pay tribute to his heroic actions during the disaster.
Riley Howell, 21, died Tuesday in her class after laying charges against the alleged gunman, identified as Trystan Andrew Terrell, 22.
THE UNC CHARLOTTE FAMILY SHOWS RILEY HOWELL VICTIM "BEYOND SUPPLY" HEROIC ACTIONS ATTACKING GUNMAN
"His sacrifice saved lives," police chief Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Kerr Putney, said Wednesday at a news conference. "What he did, is that he took off the assailant, and then the heroes we have here were able to apprehend him from there."
Putney described Howell as "the first and most important hero [he’s] worried "about the shooting, which also killed 19-year-old Ellis Parlier.
In this September 1, 2017 photo provided by Matthew Westmoreland, we see Riley Howell, on the right.
(Matthew Westmoreland via AP)
A MAN FATALLY CUT IN THE STREET OF THE CHARLOTTE UNC DAY AFTER THE TURNING CAMPUS
A petition to WhiteHouse.gov requests that Howell, a ROTC cadet, be buried with all military honors.
"There may have been many more casualties if Riley had not rushed to the gunman and had not approached it," says the petition. "Riley was a ROTC cadet and would have served his country. Instead, he died saving the lives of his classmates.
Friday afternoon, the petition received more than 18,000 signatures. If it crosses the 100,000 threshold by May 31, the White House will provide an official response.
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Howell's mother said on Thursday on NBC's "Today" show that she was "more than proud" of her son's heroic actions.
"As the kids ran in one direction, our son went back and ran towards the shooter," said Natalie Henry-Howell. "If he was in the room when something like that was happening and he was diverted, he could not have lived with himself."
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