West Point posthumously admits JROTC student slain by Florida gunman; survivors mobilize against guns

Peter Wang was buried in his uniform.

FIFTEEN-YEAR OLD Peter Wang always wanted to attend West Point, the U.S. Military Academy in New York.

He will never achieve that dream after being shot dead during the shooting rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Wang was one of 17 students and administrators who were killed by shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, a former student of the school. According to news reports, Wang died in his JROTC uniform while helping others escape from the alleged shooter.

West Point posthumously admitted Wang to the Class of 2025 for his heroic actions, according to an academy statement. “It was an appropriate way for USMA to honor this brave young man,” the statement said. 

“West Point has given posthumous offers of admissions in very rare instances for those candidates or potential candidates whose actions exemplified the tenets of duty, honor and country.”
 

Wang was buried Tuesday in his JROTC uniform, at his family’s request, and the JROTC Heroism Medal was on his uniform, said Lt. Col. Christopher Belcher, spokesman for Army Cadet Command. A second medal was given to the family as a keepsake, he said.

The 15-year-old was one of three JROTC cadets who died during the shooting in Parkland, Florida. Cadets Alaina Petty, 14, and Martin Duque, 13, were also killed.
All three cadets are being honored with JROTC Heroism Medals, a spokesman for Army Cadet Command told Army Times. The medal is awarded to cadets who perform an act of heroism, one that is “so exceptional and outstanding that it clearly sets the individual apart from fellow students or from other persons in similar circumstances,” according to the criteria for the award.

Meanwhile, fellow students, moved and angered by the deaths of their classmates, spearheaded a movement to ban assault weapon sales, blaming the NRA and the politicians that they support, including Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio and Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

Busloads of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students watched from the gallery as state House members overwhelmingly voted down a motion to debate an existing bill that would ban assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. 

HB 219, a bill filed in October, would ban any “selective-fire firearm capable of fully automatic, semiautomatic or burst fire,” including the AR-15 rifle, the type used in at the students' high school Wednesday.

SCREEN CAPTURE

Students have turned their grief into a movement for gun control.

Students across the nation are advocating for gun control measures. Monday. Students staged a "die-in" at the White House.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students have planned a march in Washington, D.C., on March 24 to demand action in the “March for Our Lives.” Sister marches are expected to occur in cities across the country, and celebrities including George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey have expressed their support for the march. 

The Florida high school won't reopen until Feb. 27 as students attend the funerals of their classmates. Hundreds of students and family members went to Peter Wang's services and heard his mother, Hui Wang, tearfully address funeral attendees.

“I watched you walking to school on February 14,” the grieving parent said while looking at her child's coffin, according to the New York Post. “Now my body is bleeding in unbearable pain. Baby, am I in a nightmare? This is unbearable. Baby, hold my hand, reach me. Baby, I’m stuck in this nightmare. Lead the way out.”

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Peter Wang, 15, died while helping others escape the Florida shooter

Peter Wang, 15, died a hero

STUDENT PETER WANG, 15, was killed during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where he was a member of the ROTC program.

He was one of the 17 victims of shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz, 19, a former student of the school.

Wang's cousin Aaron Chen said Peter was last seen holding a door open so that others could escape the shooter.

Another cousin, Lin Chen, 24, said she wasn’t surprised to hear that.

“He is so brave," she said. "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,’’ added Chen, who flew in from Louisana to be with the family.

His parent, who own a restaurant in West Palm Beach, and two younger brothers were too upset to talk, says Chen.

Cruz, who is in police custody, reportedly confessed that he was the shooter of the mass shooting. 

The alleged shooter legally purchased the AR-15, assault rifle used in the shooting at a gun store in Coral Springs, Florida.

As politicians offer prayers and condolences for the victims of the Florida high school shooting, many of those same leaders accept millions of dollars from the National Rifle Association. 

Donald Trump, in his rather lackluster and unemotional remarks to the nation Thursday didn’t even bring up the issue of guns. Oh, by the way, the NRA gave his campaign over $30 million.

He wasn't alone. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted, "Today is that terrible day you pray never comes." He received $3.3 million from the NRA.

We don't need another moment of silence to honor the victims. If we really want to honor the memories of the young victims, now is the time for action.

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