CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — David Belnap stood on his North Carolina college campus aching from the latest U.S. school shooting as he held a candle and wore a homemade T-shirt with “Riley Howell is a hero” written on the back.
Howell died in his classroom Tuesday at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, charging and tackling a gunman who would kill him and another student and wound four others with a legally obtained pistol, authorities said.
Howell’s decision to fight for the lives of others fit his character, Belnap said Wednesday at a candlelight vigil on campus the night after the shooting.
“It seems very much like something he would do. I want that to be his legacy, that he lost his life to protect those he cared about,” the sophomore said about his friend.
Howell, 21, likely went through the same active shooter drills as countless other students of his generation. They were taught to run away if they can, hide if they can’t run and if the horrible situation arises where a gunman prevents those two choices — fight for their lives.
Howell knocked the assailant down, buying enough time for the first officer into the classroom to capture Trystan Andrew Terrell, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said.
The gunman had a lot of ammunition and while detectives aren’t sure if he was targeting anyone specifically Tuesday, they know he picked out the Kennedy Building and gave no indication he was going to stop shooting before Howell charged, Putney said.
“His sacrifice saved lives,” the chief said.
Howell was with classmates for end-of-year presentations in an anthropology class when the shooting happened.
In a statement, UNC-Charlotte said all the victims were students, five from North Carolina and one international. Howell, of Waynesville, and Ellis R. Parlier, 19 of Midland, were killed. Those wounded were Sean Dehart, 20, and Drew Pescaro, 19, both of Apex; Emily Houpt, 23, of Charlotte; and Rami Alramadhan, 20, of Saihat, Saudi Arabia.
Terrell, 22, was charged with two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder and other charges. His first appearance in court was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
