People are calling for full military honors to be bestowed on the student who saved lives during the recent shooting in Parkland, Florida.
The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School left 17 students and teachers dead.
A 15-year-old junior ROTC cadet helped save lives during the massacre before being killed himself.
Peter Wang, a freshman, held a door open during the shooting, enabling his fellow students to escape the chaos faster.
“A military funeral would really help the family. They are devastated,” said family friend Jesse Pan, 34, reported the New York Daily News.
The family specifically moved to Parkland around 18 months ago because Wang wanted to join the school’s junior ROTC program.
“It is really sad because they moved here because of the school. He told them he wanted to join the Army and attend West Point in the future. He wanted to learn leadership skills and improve his character. He changed a lot when he joined. He started helping people.”
Wang died while wearing his ROTC uniform.
A petition started on the White House website, which is aimed at President Donald Trump, asks that Wang is bestowed a full honors military funeral.
Intervention would be needed because the ROTC is not officially part of the military.
Wang was remembered as a great person who cared about others.
Diana Haneski, a librarian at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, poses for a portrait near one of the crosses erected for the victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 16, 2018. (Reuters/Jonathan Drake)
“He was the kid in school who would be friends with anyone,” his cousin, Lin Chen, 24, told The New York Times. “He didn’t care about popularity.”
“He is so brave. He is the person who is genuinely kind to everyone. He doesn’t care about popularity. He always liked to cheer people up. He is like the big brother everyone wished they had,’’ Chen added to the Sun-Sentinel.
Wang also enjoyed playing basketball and spending time with his two younger brothers, ages 11 and 5.
“I feel the family can never be the same,’’ said Chen.
