After what has been a terrible week for the country, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
Last week, a high school in Parkland, Florida suffered a heavy loss. Shooter Nikolas Cruz walked into Stoneman Douglas High School and opened fire. He killed 17 and injured at least 14 more. Kids were petrified and were hiding in closets, posting the panic on Snapchat to let others know that this is not okay. The suspect and former student of the high school bragged about his guns and how he would become a school shooter. This flagged authorities, but nothing was ever done. It’s part of an epidemic that needs a resolution and change. It’s a tragedy that we see far too often.
However, out of this tragedy, a beautiful moment has come to light. Peter Wang, who was 15 years old, was one of the sadly fatal cases of last week’s shooting. He was a student hoping to join the military and attend West Point Academy upon graduating. Sadly, his life was cut short and his dreams could not come to fruition.
However, West Point Academy heard of his heroism during the attack. According to the SunSentinal, Wang was killed in his JROTC uniform Wednesday, holding the door open to allow others to escape as the gunman fired off rounds. “West Point conferred a letter of admission, along with honorarium tokens, to his family,” a local alumnus told the SunSentinal.
Wang, along with two other JROTC members killed in the shooting, were also honored by the Florida National Guard a their funerals. 14-year-old Alaina Petty was honored at her funeral Monday, and Martin Duque, also 14, will be honored at his funeral Saturday. All three will also be receiving the Army’s Medal of Heroism, the highest honor for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets who are, “involved the acceptance of danger and extraordinary responsibilities, exemplifying praiseworthy courage and fortitude.”
It’s a bright spot in the darkest of times. In the last moments of his life, Wang acted on instinct and did his duty. Even so young, he was a hero for his country.
Our thoughts are with the families affected by this senseless tragedy.