We once spoke of soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Now it’s kids in school, trying to save their classmates. When a man began shooting at the University of North Carolina’s Charlotte campus, Riley Howell ran toward the assailant. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said Howell, “took the suspect off his feet.” Putney went on to say the student “did exactly what we train people to do — you’re either going to run, you’re going to hide and shield, or you’re going to take the fight to the assailant. Having no place to run and hide, he did the last.”
Soon after the suspect was arrested by campus police. Howell was one of two students killed, four others were injured.
WATCH: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney hails Riley Howell, a student killed in the UNC Charlotte attack, a hero for fighting the suspected shooter. Putney says, “his sacrifice saved lives.”@BreakingChesky has the latest tonight on @NBCNightlyNews. pic.twitter.com/H4zfpjK4AA
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) May 1, 2019
Howell’s parents also talked to the Today saying, “everybody ran and Riley chased. We are just beyond proud of what he was able to do.”
“We are just beyond proud of what he was able to do,” Natalie and Thomas Howell, parents of UNC Charlotte shooting victim Riley Howell, speak out about their son, who's being called a hero pic.twitter.com/lglXahkY9p
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 2, 2019
CNN’s Chris Cuomo did a touching tribute to Howell. Watch above.