HIGHLANDS RANCH, the United States, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Grief and gratitude swept through southeast Denver Wednesday for the heroics of Kendrick Castillo, an 18-year-old student just days away from finishing high school.
"He charged the shooter and was immediately on top of him," said Brendan Bialy, a senior at the 1,800-student STEM School Highlands Ranch, who is joining the U.S. Marines. "He was ready to end the threat."
Castillo was killed and eight others were wounded Tuesday afternoon after two students with handguns entered the school and started shooting, police said.
Bialy, 18, was one of the three male students who responded with an "immediate non-hesitation jump into action" and attacked a shooter as soon as he pulled a handgun.
Bialy, along with his classmates Castillo, Joshua Jones, and another unidentified student, slammed the shooter against a wall and disarmed him, Bialy said Wednesday at a news conference.
In the struggle, Castillo was fatally shot, while Jones was shot twice when disarming the suspect.
The Jones family declined to speak publicly and asked for privacy. In a statement, they called Castillo a "special hero."
After Castillo was shot, Bialy said he kept the gun away from the suspect and helped a teacher perform chest compressions on Castillo, which, however, failed to save him.
On Wednesday, the teenager who was also a member of the school robotics club was being remembered as a hero.
"Before I say anything else, and I mean anything else, I am sitting right here. However, there are a couple other students who aren't. One of those being Kendrick Castillo," the U.S. marine hopeful Bialy said.
"He passed away. I saw it happen. And I want to make something very, very clear. Kendrick Castillo died a legend. He died a trooper. He got his ticket to Valhalla," Bialy told the media.
"And I know he will be with me for the rest of my life ... I love that kid."
Classmates told local media that Castillo was the fastest and most alert to respond to the threat.
"He cared about his faith and his family and friends more than himself or anything," said Sara Stacks, 17, who told the media that Castillo "was always the first to help when anyone needed it."
Classmates said that Castillo had dreams of becoming an engineer like his father, and he was interested in how to fix things, frequently tinkering with his Jeep.
Aiden Beatty, 18, a former student at STEM School, described Castillo as friendly and well-liked.
"He was always smiling. I would always see him around the engineering area with those teachers, working on stuff, building," Beatty said.
Words of praise for the young man murdered endlessly poured in.
It was the second mass shooting involving teenage students in the United States within eight days. A week before the shooting, Riley Howell, a 21-year-old environmental studies major, also sacrificed himself when trying to stop a lunatic with a gun from killing others in the University of North Carolina.
Both young men have been exalted as true American heroes on social media. The lament for young Castillo was deafening on Wednesday.
"What a wonderful young man!" Michelle Ferguson said.
Elizabeth Kuras called Castillo a true hero. "It is of small comfort I'm sure, but his parents can be so proud. Thank you to his parents for raising such an honorable young man," she posted.
"Kendrick, you are a true hero so unselfish, loving and caring only of others," Cathy Christensen wrote.
Castillo's alleged killer was held without bond after appearing before a judge Wednesday, with half of his hair dyed purple. His accomplice was described as someone younger who was "transitioning from female to male," authorities said.
After the court hearing Wednesday, District Attorney George Brauchler, who is well-known in the state for his support of the death penalty, indicated that he would consider filing adult charges, adding that at least one of the suspects was old enough.
