As the nation continues to grapple with the horrific school shooting in Florida that claimed the lives of at least 17 students and staff, there are stories emerging that reveal heroism and kindness amid the chaos.
READ: Student Praises ‘Heroic Janitor’ Who Saved at Least 30 Lives in Florida School Shooting
Among these stories at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is one surrounding 15-year-old Peter Wang, a teen who tragically died when gunman Nikolas Cruz went on his killing spree.
Aaron Chen, Peter’s cousin, told media after the shooting that he saw Peter engaged in a truly selfless act before his death: donning his Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. uniform while holding the door for his fleeing classmates, The Daily Mail reported.
“He wasn’t supposed to die,” Aaron told WTLV-TV. “He was supposed to grow old with me.”
This is 15 year old Peter Wang. He was in the school’s ROTC program. He held the door open for other students so they could escape. His cousin said “He wasn't supposded to die. He was supposed to grow old with me.” Wang died yesterday while saving others.#GunReformNow pic.twitter.com/2c47yzL0ad
— Simar (@sahluwal) February 15, 2018
Chen told The New York Times that Peter helped him adjust when he moved to Florida, and described the high school freshman as “nice and generous.”
“He was the kid in school who would be friends with anyone,” Lin Chen, another of Peter’s cousins, told the Times. “He didn’t care about popularity.”
As Faithwire previously reported, there were other stories of heroism and bravery to unfold inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Student David Hogg told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that “luckily for the heroic actions of one janitor” he and up to 40 other students’ lives were saved when the janitor ushered them to safety inside of a classroom.
And language arts teacher Melissa Falkowski is being praised as a hero after cramming 19 students into a supply closet as gunshots rang out. Aaron Feis, a football coach at the school, died after reportedly shielding students from bullets as well.
Let’s continue to pray for the victims of this horrific crime.