Remember the name Kendrick Castillo. He was 18 years old, and was the single fatality yesterday at the STEM school shooting in Colorado. Law enforcement is hailing him as a hero.
As more details about the shooting are being uncovered (and most likely going to be swept under the rug, as reports are emerging that one of the two suspects in custody is reportedly a transgender student at the school, which blows giant holes in the media’s preconceived narrative), Kendrick Castillo is receiving recognition for his attempt to stop the shooters.
https://twitter.com/katiecouric/status/1126145741989339136
Castillo’s fellow student Nui Giasolli recounted his bravery in attempting to stop the shooter, and credits him and others with distracting the shooter long enough for the class to flee.
When a gunman burst through the door at STEM School Highland Ranch, barking at students to stay in place and not move, Castillo, 18, rushed the shooter. It was a quick-thinking move that fellow students said gave them a chance to bolt for safety or take cover under desks.”
“Kendrick lunged at (the gunman), and he shot Kendrick, giving all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room to escape,” senior Nui Giasolli told NBC News on Wednesday morning. Other students helped Castillo tackle the shooter, classmates said.”
Douglas County Coroner Jill Roman confirmed Wednesday that the student killed was Castillo, the sheriff’s department said in a tweet.”
An emotional John Castillo lauded his kind-hearted son as a hero. “I want people to know about him,” he told ABC News.”
Castillo had been a four-year member of the school’s robotics team and had several technology internships, according to his LinkedIn page, Buzzfeed reported.”
Rachel Short of Bacara USA, a manufacturing business where Castillo began an internship last year, said he performed so well the company gave him a part-time job. Short said Castillo loved engineering and was eager to help people.”
“To find he went down as a hero, I’m not surprised,” said Short, the company’s CEO. “That’s exactly who Kendrick was.”
Kendrick Castillo now joins the ranks of heroes like Riley Howell at UNC, who made the ultimate sacrifice in trying to protect their classmates. However, the deaths of these two young men have sparked a rallying cry on Twitter that I’m seeing pop up again and again. It’s the refrain that “kids are being forced to make this choice.”
With no regard for his own life, Kendrick Castillo charged the school shooters yesterday -giving his classmates time to run & hide & escape. 8 more were still shot. But it cost him his life. I am grieved to my soul that this nation is forcing children to make decisions like this. pic.twitter.com/1Cuxx4nNNv
— Shaun King (@shaunking) May 8, 2019
And it’s all over the Twitter feeds of the usual suspects who want to blame someone other than the shooter. The gun is at fault, the politicians are at fault, the NRA is at fault.
But I think something has changed among the kids, and it’s why we are seeing young heroes like Kendrick Castillo and Riley Howell bravely run into the face of fire. We saw this on September 11th, on Flight 93 – the idea that there was no one who could possibly stop the bad guy but yourself. The heroic passengers of Flight 93 gave their lives in the attempt to stop evil. After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where teenagers later would learn the sheriff’s deputy had hidden himself and waited for backup while students were murdered, I think a sea-change has taken place among students. If the police can not or will not protect you, who is left but yourself? I think that is why we are now seeing heroic actions by students in the moment. Confronted with evil, knowing that they may be the only chance others have to escape, these two young men sacrificed themselves in order to prevent more death. Will knowing that an unarmed student may confront them stop a future school shooter? Probably not. But the kids have learned that they can’t depend on law enforcement to protect them, so they will have to do what they can by themselves.
Remember the names Kendrick Castillo and Riley Howell, because they gave their lives in the hope that others would live.
Featured image: Kendrick Castillo (image via screenshot, CBS Denver on YouTube)
George V says: Blame the gun, blame the NRA…. Why is no one looking at why our society seems to raise boys who want to shoot up the school?
Jim says: ”Multiple sources close to the investigation told Denver7 late Tuesday night that the second suspect, who is a minor, is a transgender male who was in the midst of transitioning from female to male.”
I would like to know why progressives are so keen to disturb the maturation and development of immature children and adolescents to push their beliefs that gender is a social construct and that there are 57 different genders. Further they seem to consider wanting to change sex is within the range of normal behaviour of children. I consider such children are likely psychologically damaged at least, easily manipulated and needing close support and counseling to learn to be happy and secure in themselves, not driven to become a person of the opposite gender as though a change in cosmetics and word labels will solve everything for them.
zenman says: Add Jason Seaman to that list…
GWB says: I am grieved to my soul that this nation is forcing children to make decisions like this.
I wholeheartedly agree! Will you join me now in removing the free-fire zone status of our schools? Will you join me in allowing free citizens of this incredible country to actually credibly defend themselves?
My guess is your answer is “No, I’m just bloodying my shirt to remove a fundamental freedom of the peasants over whom I will rule.”
is reportedly a transgender student at the school
Gee, I can’t imagine how f*ing with someone’s hormones on a massive and fundamental level would ever prove troublesome. Can you?
If the police can not or will not protect you, who is left but yourself?
They come to realize the fundamental of freedom: YOU are responsible. I hope lots more come to realize this without having to face a shooter while in the barrel.
Will knowing that an unarmed student may confront them stop a future school shooter?
If they thought they might face a crapload of armed people, though, I can guarantee they’ll ponder another course of action.
An armed society is a polite society. A disarmed society is at the mercy of everyone else.
GWB says: Oh, and BZ to Mister Castillo. Well done. You will be remembered.
Scott says: Agree 100%! may the name Kendrick Castillo be memorialized, and remembered always, and the names (as well as the persons) of the shooters be forgotten for eternity.
Russ Wood says: I would like to hope that, even at my age (70’s) I would rush at a random gunman. There have been other examples, some fatal for the rusher, others not, where one or two MEN present just RAN at the shooter and stopped him. In the Westminster bridge knife attack, people threw bar tables and stools at the attacker. The best defence is a good offense – and armed would be even better!
Despite all of the ‘feminazi’ attacks on masculinity, it seems that Mister Castillo has again shown the world just what a MAN is!
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