Is it dangerous to lionize the heroes of school shootings?

Honoring the children who die saving classmates is laudable — but we should tread carefully

Kids.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images, grebeshkovmaxim/iStock, Jessicahyde/iStock)

There was another mass shooting this week, on Tuesday, at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado. Eight people were wounded at the K-12 public charter school, and 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo was killed while lunging for one of the shooters. He saved lives, said classmate Brendan Bialy, who was able to pin the gunman. "Kendrick Castillo died a legend," Bialy said. "I know he will be with me for the rest of my life."

Exactly a week earlier, a 21-year-old senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte named Riley Howell charged at a gunman in his class, taking two bullets before a third shot to the head killed him. He still managed to tackle the gunman, and he saved lives. He was one of two people who died in that shooting.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.