"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." -- John 15:13
What more can be said. True heros are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and give the ultimate contribution for those that are unable to do so. We've been forced to give up a great individual, but let's make sure that his sacrifice isn't in vain...
OORAH, Riley, you served as if you had been a US Marine! SALUTE!
11
Riley Howell should be awarded a Posthumous Medal of Freedom, even though its awarding by Trump would diminish its value
5
A good young man killed by a deranged young man.
Many say that guns don't kill people and they are right, but without guns killings of this sort would not occur.
2
If politicians weren't cowards, maybe kids wouldn't have to be heroes.
12
As someone who has actually fired a M16, and knows the damage it can do ..... why in the world does this country allow the sale of similar rapid fire weapons to civilians?
My sincere condolences to the Howell family, if there was ever a true meaning to what a hero is, it's your son, who gave his life so others may live.
13
Contrary to the claim by many gun nuts, the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is not a good guy with a gun. It can be a selfless teenager who acts on his beliefs. What would actually stop bad guys with guns is to keep weapons of mass murder out of the hands of the public. Stand up to any political figure who claims otherwise. Never forget Riley Howell!
14
@Bill
Every mass shooting that is NOT stopped by cops has two characteristics:
1. The good guy knows to react the minute trouble starts; and,
2. The number of deaths is less than a quarter of the times the victims have to wait for the police.
Were you reading from a mixture of news sites you'd know shootings are interrupted by law-abiders faily often.
The criminal will ALWAYS have access to a knife, gun, car, or large rock.
The only people you can control with laws are the law abiders, and they are the LAST people you want disarmed.
Don't like mass shootings? BAN ''gun-free zones.''
Hate private ownership of guns? And you live HERE? WHY?
2
It takes a special kind of person to run at a gunman. Of course, it makes sense and logic suggests that overpowering an attacker will prevent or, at least, reduce casualties. But when things are real what person has that clarity of vision and purpose and, more uniquely, the herculean amount of courage? I imagine not many. Riley was obviously a very special guy.
14
Every member of the NRA is complicit in this murder, and all others like it to boot. No excuses, get out and stop supporting this organization now.
6
We need political heroes. There have been more than enough people killed by firearms. Where is the courage to change our nation? It certainly takes less courage than this young man displayed.
5
I am crying for the family of Riley Howell. I have always been impressed by the personal qualities of the people I have known from North Carolina, but Riley Howell rises to the top as the most noble of them all.
5
My Country ‘tis of thee
Sweet land of Liberty
Of Thee I sing
Land where the bullets fly
Land where our children die
From each and every mountainside
So Freedom reigns
7
What an amazing, brave, selfless, extraordinary person the world has lost. Such a profound tragedy. His parents raised an exceptional son. Gun violence MUST STOP. Our nation has had enough senseless waste of lives. I have lived through an active shooter in my workplace. The U.S. must BAN GUNS NOW.
3
Howell is a true American hero and a role model for us all. Unfortunately, for the bloodthirsty gun lobby he is just another casualty of gun "rights" ("rights" in quotations because the "rights" of gun owners threaten the right to life for all the rest of us).
2
The Republican party and the NRA are responsible for this almost daily carnage. Period.
3
Another truly heart breaking story!
I'm from Amsterdam, Netherlands, Europe. No trolling here!
We, here across the ocean, see for so many years and so many mainly very young (!!!) victims, the US keeps on hanging on like be it a religion to it's sacred 'constitutional rights' carrying guns. Meanwhile people keep on killing their fellow schoolmates, their fellow churchgoers, their fellow citizens. CRAZY!
Nra, gop/reps, headed by Trump & Co, keeps telling that everyone that has a gun might end a schoolshooting, churchshooting, mallshooting, festivalshooting. Trump himself, with a painful heelspur, would end a shooting singlehanded.
However- as far I can recollect NOT ONE SHOOTING EVER was ENDED by a courageous gun carrying civilian. NEVER!
It always was the US Police that ended any shootout hell.
Argumentation of the Trump/NRA/Reps/Meadows clique always and again is that, beside the second amendment, a civilian gun just might happen to be the one ending a shooting as such.
Might happen? A Dutch saying goes: 'je kunt wachten tot je een ons weegt' (one can wait 'till one weights an once).
Because of this bloody amendment so many tears have been shed, still will continue to be shed.
When…. just when will it dawn to US people's heads that weapons ALWAYS are dangerous in ANY persons hands? Persons that until were sound and solid can be tomorrows murderers…
Excuse my poor English please!
7
Let's name a new, Federal Gun Control Bill in His Honor.
VOTE in 2020, do it for Him, and His Family.
4
A real hero in our time.
5
Riley Howell was uncommonly brave & strong. Its a pity more men & women in Congress cannot say the same.
2
It is said that a man's character is his fate. And so it was with Riley Howell. There is nothing, no training, no mindset, that will dictate how one will react is such a situation. Some will run toward the danger, most will run away. That's just how it is, and will always be.
It's a matter character plain and simple. There is no shame in running away, self preservation is a powerful instinct. We'd all however like to think that we too would react as Riley did. But the truth is, there are few real heroes like Riley who walk among us.
So, at the very least we all owe Riley, and those like him, a debt of gratitude for demonstrating to the rest of us what the best of us are willing to selflessly do for others when that defining moment presents itself.
27
Thank you for focusing on the heroism of this young man instead of the shooter.
25
This week, we've read of people who took time to grab their luggage on a burning plane, dooming those behind them.
And of a young man who chose act for the common good, no matter the personal cost.
Humans are capable of both behaviors, and that is why we take the time to honor those who show the best of who we can be--even in the most unimaginable of circumstances.
14
God Bless Riley Howell and peace to his parents.
16
That beautiful young man - a rock to his family, gone forever. What a tragedy.
17
I am grateful for this young man’s bravery. He is a hero.
But banking on more Riley Howells is not an effective public policy response. Courageous young people like Mr. Howell should not have to die because our legislators are too cowardly to pass common sense gun reforms.
19
Our politicians are scared to pursue gun control because they are scared to lose an election. If only they had this man's courage.
RIP Riley.
19
I am curious why the NYT did not mention that Riley Howell was a Reserve Officer Training Cadet. Surely that is pertinent to the story?
10
I stopped reading about Riley until I get home because I'm on lunch break, noticeably crying and I don't want my coworkers to think I've lost my mind. They would be mistaken if they did. It's not me who's gone insane, it's America.
13
How well young peopleare raised makes the difference between the indispensable heroes like Riley Howell from the numerous creeps doing everything from driving drunk down to tripping their kindergaten teachers out of angry spite.
When the cool new culture went to war against everything that defined America in the Vietnam era, it unfortunately also changed how too many young people in this country were raised.
6
The good die young and jerks live forever.
Let's honor Mr. Howell's extraordinary sacrifice and bravery by enacting common sense gun laws. Something is deeply wrong about a country that allows this to happen again and again.
12
I propose this young man be awarded posthumously the Medal of Honor and he, and all the other victims of that shooting, be provided state funerals with full military honors and burial in a national cemetery. It seems only appropriate. We sacrificed their lives for our unrestricted right to bear arms. Oh, and I suggest the NRA and gun lobby pay for this.
8
Heartbreaking.
7
Riley Howell : Say His name, day it loud, say it to every GOP Voter and NRA member you meet, say it to every single Candidate you see, say it to every Public official you see. Ask them : What will YOU do, to honor his Life, and Death ? How many more must be Murdered ? What about your Family ? Think you're immune ? Think again.
SAY HIS NAME.
7
I was born and raised in that area, and these family names Westmoreland, Howell, Pritchard, Blackburn, just break my heart. I am a strong proponent of gun regulation and increased funding for mental health. But sadly, I've felt for years that we also need to be more realistic in the training drills for these horrific events. Riley's death bears that out. We must rush these sick individuals and try to save lives. We must fight. If our country was under attack from a hostile country, we would fight back, risking death so others can be saved, just like he did. These shootings are total horror shows, and I believe many could be prevented by regulation, but still, the training needs to shift, to include everybody, teachers, kids, adults, fighting the hell back. God rest that amazing young man. He is a hero.
4
Riley Howell, A true hero who paid with his own life to save others. His memory shall be preserved and hopefully his valor will be commended, posthumously. My sympathies and condolences to his family and friends. Undoubtedly he saved other lives and a nation is grateful.
5
There are millons of amazing individuals out there. But few like Riley. I alway have reflected on this courageous and selfless act for others. My father did. What will I do?
5
He really sounds like an amazing young man. My heart goes out to his parents. I wish I could just give them a hug. I hope the knowledge of his courage can give them a little bit of peace, in time.
7
what we need is a million Riley Howell's. I am grateful for his family sharing his beautiful story and terribly sad that he is no longer among us.
6
This is a good article! It focuses on the heroes who save lives such as Riley Howell, by name, and leaves the perpetrators of such massacres nameless and forgotten to history.
This approach to reporting on school shootings will hopefully reduce them because terrorists are nothing but attention seekers. If they don't get attention in the media, others won't want to emulate them.
12
New Zealand is not the U.S. and Arden simply mistrusts people who own guns. The need to control who owns guns has become mixed up with the idea that no civilized person who respects life would own weapons of any kind, guns being the popular symbol of this idea. It’s untrue but compelling to many none the less.
We can do much better in how we keep track of who has which guns and assure that those who do are not likely threats to others. This will not happen by portraying guns as murder weapons and owners as cracked individuals eager to shoot other people.
2
I was about to leave a comment praising the heroism of this extraordinary young man but am instead writing how saddened I was to find such a misjudged comment as this. Your opinions are totally valid but why express them in comments on this article?
4
See NYT Pick, Michele.
Because that good man died out of love for others and it was not to promote some poorly considered political agenda which I have seen amongst these comments. This one was actually in response to one comment in particular but it ended up by itself. So it’s purpose is unclear.
Sincere condolences and a vial of tears to the family for the tragedy and deep admiration for Riley.How many people would have the compassion and human decency to do what he did? I am guessing literally one in a thousand of the population maybe less.
There is an obvious broader point to be made but out of profound respect for this genuine hero, I am not going to make that point. Let's just focus on his heroism alone.
I am just so sorry that you heroic young man paid with his life.
It is heartbreaking
7
I am conflicted between anger and despair that the Howell family and the world have been robbed of Riley's presence.
At the same time, I am hopeful that his goodness and kindness, strength and courage will resonate within the untold number of lives he protected and safeguarded by his acts of self-sacrifice.
The way in which Mr. Howell lived his life makes me want to be a better person. I regret that kind of inspiration came at the highest possible cost.
I don't know the Howell family, but I love them and grieve for their loss.
11
How many more tragic inspiring events must occur, before our useless wimps of politicians finally pass anything to control gun deaths.
I really mean anything, better back ground checks, gun buy back programs, semi automatic control. Serial numbers and tracking of bullets. Restrictions on large sale of bullets.
Close any loophole, pass one tiny restriction at a time. Just do something.
6
Take notice, "President" Trump: This is what a true Medal of Freedom recipient looks like.
11
Thank you for this moving tribute
7
i wish out political leaders in DC had one-tenth the courage and fortitude of Riley Howell. May he rest in peace; may his name always be remembered for a blessing. May his family know no further sorrow.
6
Recently I started working part-time as a life enrichment manager at an assisted living facility; I spend my days with the residents suffering from Alzheimer's or other neurological diseases. Employees are required to take a CPR class. The first thing the instructor told us, the very first thing, was what we needed to do in case of an active shooter in the building. And then he went on to explain the concept of run, hide, fight.
I was horrified and saddened and angered and disgusted by the entire presentation. That this is part of how we must live our lives now, in this society, in what is supposed to be the "greatest country on earth", sickens me. Riley Howell's death sickens me. The deaths of the thousands of people who have died in the US over the past decades from being shot sickens me. I weep for them all. I wish I could hold Riley's parents and siblings and girlfriend and other family members and friends close to me and whisper: "His death was not in vain. He was a hero and his death was not in vain. Change will come. It will come because of brave people like Riley."
But I would be lying. And that sickens me.
8
Riley Howell represents the very best of us. It makes me sick to think that we lost a young man like him because of gun violence. Our leaders are failing us because they do nothing about gun violence. Our leaders are cowards because they will not take on the gun lobby. They do not have what Riley Howell had inside him-courage and personal sacrifice. My heart goes out to his beautiful family and I mourn with them.
3
Oh my. This article brought me to tears. It shows so clearly that Riley was something that seems so rare these days.
He was a kind person.
He was a good person.
He instinctively protected others.
I cannot think of anyone in government who is like that.
7
Suggestion to those who complained constantly about the fake news of the liberal press and those of us who believe the second amendment is a curse. Let us join together and repeal both the first and second amendment . No more CNN no more Fox News no more New York Times and no more children being killed by guns. Then we would be a great nation very much like the one that Mr. Putin rules over.
1
Riley, my hat is off to you. Though I didn't know you, I will remember you.
8
I believe the Second Amendment should be repealed, but now is not the time to talk about such things.
As I'm sure is the case with many others, I was incredibly moved by this story and humbled to live in a world where people like Riley Howell exist. I also was floored by the photograph of his parents and their expressions--the image captures, at least to me, a couple at once devastated but proud, as well they should be. I'm sure many share the sentiment: Thank you for bringing him into this world.
At least for now, can we forget about the politics and the Second Amendment and the GOP and the NRA? There will be plenty of time for that. For now, I think it would be good simply to reflect on the good within people, not the bad.
9
You can't repeal the 2A, because without it the respective States national guards will have to disarm.
The 2A is correct in its actual form and intent, however it's being wilfully misinterpreted by deceitful people.
6
@The Falcon
Wow. But let's talk about this tomorrow or the next day. Really. Thanks.
He is truly an incredible man and a hero.
I hope he is remembered forever by Americans as exemplary of what we must be.
As a father, my heart goes out to the family. Remember him forever as a true hero.
11
My Lord. What a remarkable son you raised. What a wonderful boyfriend, and brother and cousin. His long life would have been a blessing for all those who knew him but in just a few seconds of selflessness he gave life to so many others that may have been cut short. At 64, I'm so grateful. Hopefully I will live a long time so my admiration of Riley will serve his memory. Unforgettable bravery.
12
Your remembrance made me feel as though I knew Riley Howell; that I had spent time with him and his family. A story worthy of national attention.
11
Bravery such as Riley’s is all the more astounding when you take a hard look at yourself and really try to imagine how you’d react under the same circumstances. The painful truth for myself is I’d probably run. People who charge are literally super-human. His parents, whom I’m heartbroken for, should glow with pride.
8
Another event where a person who was a target attacked and disarmed the shooter: Jacob Ryker, a student at Thurston High school in Springfield, Oregon in 1998, was shot in the chest as he tackled and disarmed the psychotic shooter, Kit Kinkel.
Meanwhile, my grand daughters, starting as toddlers in day care, are taught to follow orders and go into quiet and hiding. We are a certifiable sick society.
5
Thank you for this story, he is a hero by any measure. And thank you for not giving the shooter any recognition by keeping their name out of the story.
5
Much more deserving of the Medal of Freedom than a certain golfer.
9
Riley Howell. That was a MAN right there. Age of a person is immaterial. There will be a place for you in The Heavens I swear it. There will be a Special Place for such ndividual Bravery, such Force of Will! May we all take something from your bravery Sir. I will have a moment of silence in your honor and I salute you Mr. Riley Howell Sir.
7
The religious right will say he is in a better place. Thoughts and prayers? I think the US Congress will send us all to a better place, where people vote like their lives depend upon it.
4
I hope we name high schools and boulevards after this young man. He has shown us the way in this nightmare new normal where we as citizens must take on the mantle of citizen-soldier. The warnings shouldn't say run-hide-fight. Rather CHARGE-FIGHT-DISRUPT. We salute you Riley.
8
You might also consider adding Wendi Winters to your list of heroes. There is no doubt in survivors' minds that she saved them by confronting the gunman and giving up her own life during a mass shooting at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, last year.
9
This is a young man who’s memory is deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
7
Please visit https://ninernationremembers.uncc.edu/ to learn about what UNCC is doing to honor and support the victims of this tragedy.
Also consider reading the blog post written by Adam Johnson, the teacher whose class was targeted:
https://anthropology365.com/2019/05/02/the-story-of-a-mass-shooting-survivor-and-anthropologist/
There are no simple answers to the mass shootings that plague this country. Access to firearms is a part of the problem, but Johnson points to the increasing individuation of our society. Rates of depression, loneliness, and suicide are rising. Social media not only contributes to feelings of isolation (in many of us) but also provides fodder for people who are nurturing extremist views.
The world is worse off for the loss of the two young men. I hope that their families can find some measure of peace and that the rest of us can begin finding ways to work together. My heart hurts for all of the senseless violence in this world. Some days it feels like simply too much to bear and I worry that we can never change it.
3
As a slight addition of information and context - Riley was provided military honors as his funeral because he was an ROTC cadet.
Someone started a petition on WhiteHouse.gov to grant him military honors - not something he was automatically entitled to. It read:
"Riley Howell, 21, died while tackling the gunman of the UNCC campus shooting on April 30. He was one of 2 students killed and 4 wounded, but there may have been many more victims had Riley not rushed the gunman and tackled him.
Riley was an ROTC cadet and would have served his country. Instead, he died saving the lives of his classmates.
For his heroism, we ask the Riley be given a burial with full military honors."
So true and so well deserved. I'm happy to read the petition was granted. Well done, Riley, be thou at peace.
10
Thomas Howell's bravery should not be down played, however why didn't the media cover the other 5 heroes who died in the same way over the past year? In Arkansas a veteran was shot and killed during a gas station robbery when he tackled one robber only to be shot by another. In New York where a black off-duty officer taking down a mugger was shot by an on-duty cop. Or Houston when a solider visiting his family, tackled a robber only to be shot to death by officers responding to the scene?
This country's gun problem has created a psychological problem. Sadly, Thomas Howell's story is repeated day in and day out. Interesting how the shooting itself garnered little attention until the media could craft a headline push about heroic white college ROTC student getting murdered while saving his fellow students.
1
This kind of horror can be prevented with common sense gun control. Vote like your life depends on it.
6
I have no sympathy for the suspect and hope his injuries were severe. What a coward to complain about the injuries caused by the young man who tackled him when he was shooting people indiscriminately without thought or regard for their lives. This young man was an American hero and a true example of how we want people to be. I feel so sorry for his parents who having lost their son must be amazingly proud of him.
5
Thank you for once focusing on the victim hero(es), and not the perpetrator(s).
7
If saving others from senseless gun violence is a good thing then his life was given for a good cause. But we all know it was pointless and that this never had to happen, and that there will be more gun violence and he simply put his finger in the dike.
To laud this very good man and his heroics without saying what really needs to be said is an outrage. To make his obituary about his bravery and not about gun violence kills him a second time. No, I do not buy the premise.
3
Mixing up fear of weapons with murder seems to lead not to addressing the people who murder but all who possess weapons. How come?
1
Who says there are no more heroes?
6
And what a stupid, stupid shame that all the people who are brave and selfless and want to help are required to be unarmed. "No guns for the good guys": the dumbest of all the dumb things of our times.
1
All I see in his photos are a happy child, living a live of love with his supportive family. This brave man's life may have been short, but I think that QUALITY of life is more important than quantity. A real hero.
6
"American society at large has been unable or unwilling to mount a response to mass shootings,"
No. American politicians have been unwilling to mount a response to mass shootings.
“69 percent of Americans, including 85 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans, want strong or moderate restrictions placed on firearms. To stop gun violence, 55 percent said they wanted policies that make it tougher to own guns, while 10 percent said making firearm ownership easier would be better.” Reuters/Ipsos poll (February 8, 2019).
American society at large wants gun control.
12
This almost exact text was in a previous NYT article. It is time the narrative blithely suggesting society at large is responsible is pointed out over and over and over to journalists unwilling to be precise with their language. Thank you for pointing this out here.
3
I can’t imagine a Republican or an NRA member doing this. They don’t serve people, only themselves. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans want stricter gun control laws but cannot not get their politicians even to discuss the possibility proves we do not live in a democracy.
2
The question we should all be asking is about the values and beliefs of this young man. We think that if we can control the external circumstances we will control behaviour. This is true to a point.
But two people collided that day, one intent on killing and another intent on giving his life for others. These decisions came from their beliefs and values.
What were they, how can we promote the great ones and systematically and publicly despise the evil ones?
Places with low levels of gun Violence don’t only have fewer guns, they also have more people that abhor violence and are striving to treat their neighbours with love.
2
The killer was an outlier, an atypical person with urges and feelings that others just don’t experience as did he. He was like the rest of us but he also was not.
Riley was also an outlier. Like us but unlike most of us. Where we have good feelings towards others, he had the kind of love that we attribute to few, like Gandhi or Jesus. That cannot be socialized into people, it’s something that came from Riley.
Tragic story, tragic loss. This young man saved dozens of people by giving up his life. Think of how many he might have positively affected had he lived. Think about what he might have accomplished; what he might have inspired others to accomplish.
Every child that has been murdered is not just a tragic loss to the family and their community; but a loss to humanity. We'll never know what these young people might have contributed to this world.
6
Such a tragic loss. Courageous, brave, altruistic and bright. How devastating for his family to lose such a promising life. And how proud they must be in their grief that their son was such a fantastic soul. My admiration and profound sadness for a good life snatched from all of us.
6
Riley Howell - I'd aspire to live and die like you did. And I do not think I have said that of anyone.
A life is not rated by how long lived or how wealthy or accomplished the person was. It is all about the core of you - the human who is empathetic, curious, and selfless - and when that is the case, the eulogy is unspoken yet so resounding, just by the presence of humanity coming to say their good byes.
Deeply sorry Riley could not continue his life. And deeply saddened for the family and friends who will feel this void for years in their lives.
6
This article breaks my heart and terrifies me. I am filled with so much admiration for this young man and such sorrow for his parents. But, instead of common sense laws we are now asking children to fight men with guns? My 17 year old told me about Riley and I will admit that my gut reaction was absolute terror that he would feel that it is his responsibility to stop a school shooter. This is not right. This is not fair. This is not what our children should be asked to do.
8
Heroic act by this person. He could only do it one time. We need to respect his bravery and sacrifice, but also that he can never do another good act, again. We cannot expect heroes to solve our ongoing problems. We must address them, all of us.
3
The description of Mr. Howell’s death sounds like he was in a war zone protecting fellow soldiers, not in a college classroom.
It looks like anywhere in the US can become a war zone at anytime courtesy of the NRA and the Republicans.
7
This incredible young man was shot three times by a maniac with a gun. Not on a battlefield; but in a schoolroom. When will enough be enough?
He is a hero; but the real heroes would be right wing members of Congress who found the courage to vote against the NRA and pass laws making this sort of carnage less of an every day occurrence so young men and women like Riley Howell could live full, long, lives.
7
I hope that the state seeks capital punishment for the shooter.
2
....I have run out of words to describe my feelings about these senseless tragedies where young people and their families suffer the worst at the hands of another... while our American politicians stare aimlessly into the abyss...just waiting for a kid named Riley to show them what to do... yet, they dawdle.
2
Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:
“To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers
And the temples of his gods,
4
Everything about this is WRONG, except your son. He was right.
4
I have no words that can match the bravery of this young man. I have absolute respect for Riley. I’m so sorry for him and his family. I believe humans will do the right thing for man kind. This hateful young man and all the men who have killed children, women and men are absolute cowards with their guns in tote. I want the people who own guns to stop paying their NRA fees and to march, picket or do what they can to stop the NRA and their influence on our Congressman. Stop the selling of guns with multiple rounds. Stop this madness good gun owners, I beg you to stand up. It’s so sad when someone throws their body, their life in front of a gun. This in insane.
2
he DESERVES the Medal of Freedom. Not a comeback golfer.
33
Do the republicans who have supported the NRA for years and blocked any efforts at gun control just skip over articles like this?
Do they even understand how closely they can be compared to mass murderers, by default?
They know full well the consequences of insanely unrestricted gun ownership.
But I suppose, when confronted with reports of the mayhem created in our country by guns the republicans can simply reply that they did not watch or listen to the coverage of the crimes.
They can say they did not read the reports in the news.
They can say it is all a conspiracy.
That would make sense for them.
It's all just another conspiracy drummed up by...Nancy Pelosi? Hillary Clinton? Barack Obama? James Comey? Adam Schiff?
9
@Interested Party here is a hint, it ain't the Republican NRA members that are doing the killing.
2
@DecliningSociety
Our society is currently in decline because of the influence of organizations like the NRA. And the republican party.
Outlaws and criminally minded people who have taken over those entities and can reasonably be described as enemies of law, order and sanity.
You say republican NRA members are not doing the killing.
I would say that if there are members in the NRA who are not supporting assault weapons and standing in the way of common sense regulations they should already have burned their NRA cards and established a lawful organization that does reflect their views.
Barring that, the most logical and responsible way to begin to end the slaughter is to destroy the NRA, now, before they do any further damage to the citizens of this country.
2nd Amendment?
The Constitution was not written to provide cover for lunatics with dangerous weapons to use against US citizens, law enforcement, or our armed forces.
4
What a great student and person Mr. Howell was! It's really unfortunate that he had to die of this senseless tragedy.
3
Perhaps one word of recognition from the White House would be appropriate and appreciated.
Perhaps a Presidential Medal of Honor should be presented to someone (or the family of someone) who is actually deserving of such an honor.
Riley Howell’s name, as well as his legacy, should never be forgotten. But there is at least one person in this nation who evidently doesn’t even know his name ..... and evidently doesn’t even care to hear about him, either.
Riley was perhaps too good, decent, and heroic for some people to even begin to understand.
11
Well, if not the President, surely the Congress.
2
@Casual Observer
Yeah, some acknowledgement from someone in those leadership positions would be nice. But they're too busy with their own agendas.
The best memorial we could do for Riley Howell's heroic and selfless actions, should be for Congress to enact meaningful measures to put a stop to these mass shootings with weapons of war, so easily available to any lunatic. What is wrong with us?
10
Frankly, no weapons of war are legally sold to civilians in this country who do not have special federal licenses. Semi-automatic rifles are efficient and easy to shoot, that is the greatest reason to spend money on them. These guns are not inexpensive. They do not compel people to shoot others and the popularity of them means that having them does not cause people to shoot others with them nor does it indicate that many scores of millions of people are inclined to kill others with them.
The effort to separate guns from dangerous individuals must be the objective. Instead, it has became an effort to demonize people who own semi-automatics and an effort to convince a majority of Americans to seize guns from them or to shame them into giving them up. Fear and loathing and stereotyping of others. Sound familiar?
2
@Isabel Lilue
This shooter used a simple handgun. Are you saying handguns are weapons of war?
1
I started crying at the first paragraph, and I'm still crying.
7
Good male energy.
We need more of it.
4
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Howell for raising a heroic young man. I was so moved and touched by your son's lust for life and how he gave his own to protect it for others. I'm so sorry for your loss, no words can heal your heart, but I hope you find peace in the memories of your fallen hero.
8
The word "hero" has been used loosely in recent years. This young man was truly a hero. He gave his life for the lives of others. Peace to those who knew and loved him. May the others who were in the room during this horror find healing and peace as well. When will our do nothing Congress do something about these senseless deaths and maimings?
4
Riley Howell was, by all accounts, not a hero solely for how he lived the final few seconds of his life, but for how he had lived all of the seconds leading up to them.
This piece is a beautiful tribute to him. Yet, reading it both saddened me and angered me. It is a disturbance to the universe's natural order for parents to bury our children, especially when the child in question has not yet even grown old enough to have graduated from college, and is killed not due to accident or inadvertence but by deliberative, intentional action.
I shall never tire of reading pieces extolling the virtues of an extraordinary young person such as Riley Howell. I am, however, beyond tired of reading such pieces in the form of a postmortem or eulogy.
6
the problem is that we believe the issue is still the guns and laws. we can regulate guns until the cows come home and we aren't addressing the why? why does someone do this ? how do we not see the signs? is there a moral or ethical erosion in American society that has caused this? these are the real questions. these will lead us to a real solution.
4
Thank you for a thorough and moving profile on a true hero. I already forget the shooter's name, and don't care to read one iota about him. Riley Howell, however, deserves to be remembered, celebrated, and immortalized. It's a modern American tragedy that his life was cut short in this incomprehensible (yet all too common) way, but if you have to go, there is no more noble way than to sacrifice yourself for others. Rest in Power, Riley.
3
Rest in power, Mr. Howell. I am so sorry for a grave loss. May your memory always bless those who loved and knew you.
2
Thank you for the story about this heroic young man. I don’t imagine anything can really help the horrible loss to his parents. But, to have raised and nurtured to adulthood such a heroic young man, is about the highest accomplishment I can imagine. God bless you.
4
Trump said he would take on an active shooter if he was in the room. Riley Howell lived and died in reality. Howell sacrificed in a selfless way that very few would ever imagine. It is easy to say what you would do but it is another thing to take action. Howell's sacrifice is beyond heroic.
1
Riley is the one who should get the Medal of Freedom - not a golfer. Riley is a true hero that exemplifies all that used to be correct with the US. They should erect a statue of him and place it right in the center of the congressional hall to remind everyone what we are supposed to be.
4
His act would have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor had he been serving the military. I don’t know that the Medal of Freedom quite measures up to his act of courage and self sacrifice in the face of a deadly threat. But he sure deserves recognition by every public office holder who respects what he did.
1
My condolences and respect to the parents of this fine young man who possess the generosity to share about him in this paper while they deeply and irrevocably grieve.
Is this the best to which we can look forward? Our loved ones dying in vain - make no mistake, it is for nothing - and heralded “a hero”? Streams of articles detailing their kindness, generosity, ambition, talent, and passions abruptly and violently eradicated.
Our capacity for sickness and suffering is mind boggling.
I hope Riley Howell’s family and friends achieve some semblance of peace and acceptance. I’m not sure I could.
2
Every April 30th in the future should be a day of memory and mourning for the loss of a great American hero and model for all to remember who we are to act in the face homicidal terrorism.
Let's get behind Riley Howell Day so we cannot easily forget that he was not afraid to lay down his life for his classmates nor should we be afraid to do likwise.
Let's lift him up and hold him dear.
I keep thinking of Sting's song "It's probably me" and the version cut with Eric Clapton. There you see what it means to be a friend like Riley was.
RIP Riley Howell, our noble friend.
I understand the desire to emphhasize the courage of the individual, but sometimes I wonder whether this kind of adoration of those who have been forced to die doesn't normalize gun violence in the US.
Why not, "Young Man Forced to Sacrifice Self Because of Senseless Pro-Gun Industry Ideology"
2
It’s painful to think of the contribution this young man could have made to a world greatly in need of true heroes. I have to offer my congratulations (along with my condolences) to his family, especially his parents. What a wonderful job you did! The two core wishes I have for my children are to make a difference in the world they live in and to get home safely every day. I grieve for you...
3
This made me cry, a lot. Beyond sad and so selfless.
2
My heart is breaking for Riley's family. May his memory be a blessing.
2
i guess a question we should be asking as a society..and which I leaders ( especially Pres Trump) should be asking is.
What separated this young man's attitude towards life and giving from the attitude of the shooter..which was one of death and taking.
Why was one selfless..and the other selfish.
And..until we get over the selfish...we will have more tragedies like this..
What he did was heroic, he shouldn't have to be heroic.
There is something wrong with our society.
4
Our country has come to treat these shootings as if they are some kind of natural disaster over which we have no control. I'm tired of hearing about heroes. We reap what we sow.
My beautiful boy. A young man of twenty-two so sublime and enlightened. Yet we are blind we cannot see him. We are deaf we cannot hear him. We are mute we cannot speak to him.
1
I spent the morning in tears and wishing I could turn back time and bring Riley back. I posted this on Facebook and so far 4 people took note. I am disgusted by the lack of response.
Riley Howell was an outstanding young man without fear and with great character. He assaulted the shooter without hesitation and without fear and without regard for his own personal safety. If he was a soldier on the battlefield he might have been awarded a Silver Star or MOA. Riley didn't ask for recognition. He only wanted to halt the shooter. He did so with such force that the shooter later complained about injuries. Riley hit him hard even when he himself was wounded twice and knocked the terrorist off his feet smashing him onto the floor.
I'm proud of you Riley. So is everyone. If I could speak to you now I would tell you that your family, friends and members of the community are grateful that you were there. You saved many lives. You acted with courage. You were selfless. You're an American hero.
Rest in peace Riley. America will never forget you.
Thank you Riley. America loves you.
2
If you want to honor his sacrifice, let’s do something about how to prevent such things from ever happening rather than bestowing wartime honors.
I guess if we as country can tolerate the murder of several dozen school children, we can tolerate any level of barbarism.
What’s a tragedy. Shame on us for showing such our cowardice and tolerating this level of bloodshed in a civilized country
I am deeply touched and humbled that the family of Riley Howell would openly share their grief, their love, their sadness, their photos with the world. Their strength and courage is inspiring.
But I am also deeply angered by the way and reason why we were given this opportunity to know who Riley Howell was. The insane actions of that whimpy coward who "complained to first responders after his arrest of internal injuries" makes we scream out loud with such rage.
I hope to never read about another brave, selfless individual who sacrifices his or her life in order to save others from the actions of a gunman.
I hope to read one day that lawmakers finally mustered a similar courage and strength like that of Riley Howell to effectively alter and change gun legislation. I am not asking them to put their lives on the line, merely their conscience. How many more innocent people must die needlessly?
4
It's easier to buy a gun illegally than it is to buy one legally, have you ever tried? It takes background checks to purchase a gun legally and sometimes even a waiting period. Gun laws or gun reform doesn't fix the problem it only takes away from law abiding citizens, criminals about to murder people don't care about the laws. Everyone in Idaho owns or carries a gun on them, hasn't been any shootings here. The problem isn't the gun its crazy people.
1
@Andrew
Kindly google shootings +Idaho.
Idaho+gun laws.
1
It’s a shame our society has young people laying down their lives like this.
3
This young man deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
3
We don’t need any more heroes under these circumstances. Do something.
3
No other country would force a student to make the choice between running for his life or running toward an active shooter. What a scathing indictment of American society, which seems to love guns more than it loves people. We are a violent, gun-obsessed country, with an emotional sickness at our core that must be defeated along with the NRA and every legislator who is in a position to help but turns a blind eye.
5
I was thinking about the “run, hide and fight” strategy put forth for innocent unarmed victims of an active shooter situation. The more I think of it, the angrier I get. If the so-called leaders of this country actually do their jobs in a way the does not require them to be beholden to their campaign benefactors, maybe our young people would not be cravenly slaughtered on a daily basis. This is our shame; we should not be putting our children on the front lines of a life or death situation while a fossilized U.S. legislature continues to put greed and violence above morality. Where’s our Jacinda Ardern? Nowhere. God bless that woman for showing the world how gun control works.
288
@Michelle Amen!!
12
All you “right to life” anti-abortion folks: I’ve never understood why you only care about the unborn, and not the kids growing up in poverty, or those gunned down because of your precious 2nd amendment “rights,” or the people who desperately need stronger mental health care laws/coverage (which is part of the same health care coverage you want to repeal).... I just don’t get it, or accept it.
3
Why do we prioritize the right of yet another embittered loser to wield firepower he never earned over the right of a loving, reputable hero to live? What about his right to live? Why are we protecting the shooters and sacrificing men like Riley?
5
What a heartbreaking account of a beautiful young man. Can any card carrying NRA member please explain to us why they deserve their beloved guns more than we deserve our beloved children?
5
@Tom here is a hint, it aint the NRA members doing the killing.
1
Good versus drooling evil. Love always prevails.
This kid Riley was, and will be, remembered as a giant. Rest in peace young sir.
2
We step out to sit down and share a meal.
Lobby conversation while waiting to be seated.
Where will we run to if someone starts shooting?
Let's sit at the bar, we can flee thru the kitchen.
Welcome to the NRA's dream America.
1
This is a touching bioptic. But why is there not one mention of this hero's well documented resolute Christian faith?
1
How many good, kind, loving people are we willing to lose to the gun lobby?
3
The very Best of America, slaughtered by the very Worst.
Thanks, NRA/GOP Party. Facilitators for Murder.
Seriously.
6
In reading about this wonderful young man I am devastated. Devastated for his friends and family of course, but devastated for the wider world as well. By all accounts this was the kind of young man we need to raise in this country. What an amazing person he was and how horrifying that he was taken from the world by something so completely senseless it defies description. I think about the man we have in the White House right now and the cesspool surrounding him and I weep, nay, sob that a growing light to counter the darkness is gone.
Just being in the world and being who he was, Riley Howell made it a better place. The world may now know who he was, but we will never know what he could have been.
3
He is a hero
The GOP leadership are cowards
His family will suffer the unimaginable
While they cheer at NRA conventions
I didn't think it was possible to feel more outrage
I didn't think there was any more room inside of me
My heart is aching for what your life could have been, Riley
You are a true leader and you led with courage
With no regard for yourself
Every leader in this 'land of the free' should bow to you
Feeling a sense of hope for this country is getting harder
But maybe that's what they want
To defeat our spirits so they defeat our urge to act
So we look the other way because it's become unbearable
Riley, I will not look the other way
I will honor you with action
And you too, Benny
And you too, Brishell
And you, Avielle and Jeremy
And all of you...
2
If only the gutless politicians had 1% of this young man's bravery.
2
Trump gives Presidential Medal to Tiger Woods for playing golf but can’t even tweet about Riley Howell for selflessly saving others’ lives.
5
Thank you for publishing this beautiful memorial of Riley’s life. He was a truly exemplary human being and a hero in all respects. It saddens me so greatly that he is no longer with us and I am so very sorry for all who loved him.
14
Riley Howell was a true hero, and his death is heartbreaking. He deserves some kind of national recognition as exemplifying the very best qualities of Americans.
The other consequence of his death should be a much harder look at our gun laws. We have a national crisis in the number of our citizens shot each year--over 30,000--and we need to exercise some kind of control over who gets to purchase guns, and what kinds of guns they can purchase.
This will be a challenge because our GOP refuses to take action. The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics estimated that 'during the 2016 election, the NRA and its affiliates spent a record $54m to secure Republican control of the White House and Congress, including at least $30.3m to help elect Donald Trump.'
We have an urgent need to address this level of corruption!
25
On one side it is heartbreaking to see that a wonderful person lost his life at such a young age and then on the other side you see this glorious young hero who without even batting an eyelid attacked this person who was there to take many innocent lives and succeeded in stopping him. We as a nation should memorialize him for his act of valor.
8
I wish that even a thin majority of our nation's politicians would 'act decisively and with little regard for themselves'. Instead they cow-tow to the gun lobby. This narrow view of the second amendment is going to lead to more death, sorry and yet another festering wound on our blemished democracy.
Let hunters hunt with Winchester rifles -- otherwise, ban all guns.
11
@Philip I agree with you. The only weapons that ordinary citizens need or should be able to obtain are rifles for legitimate hunting, target shooting (low calibers) and shotguns for hunting and skeet or trap shooting. Nothing else is necessary. As for handguns they are scourge, a plague in our nation. I no longer own any rifles or handguns. I don't want them around. I used to shoot on a high school rifle team and I'm also a veteran. There is no need for weapons that can all too easily be used for mass shootings including pistols with large capacity magazines. It simply makes no sense to have such weapons available to the general public. No pistol should carry more than 8-10 rounds. Its not necessary for self-defense or anything else. It's time for our political leadership to step up and end this madness. I am still in tears this morning over the loss of Riley and the other young man who was also killed. This hurts all of us. Let's start banning high power weapons and high capacity magazines. We don't need them.
2
Riley Howell is the real deal, a hero who gave his life. Jim Dwyer is the quintessential great reporter and writer. And some of the comments, as always, provide worthwhile insights. But they reveal that a common misunderstanding permeates much of the public's perceptions. This centrist will again point it out: Students in the U.S. are in fact very, very, very safe from shootings. Even starting the "counting" with Sandy Hook, the overall number of incidences and victims is *still* small. Our kids are more than 100 times more likely to be killed in other ways -- think motor vehicle, bike & pedestrian accidents, suicide & guns *not* in schools, drugs & drowning & sports & even flu -- than they are in a school shooting. Yes, this is a national problem, and may Riley Howell's memory spur us on to try to reduce the carnage of mass shootings in schools. But all nations have problems, and It ill-serves that end to misleadingly frighten our youth (or for that matter their parents) about the likelihood of a school shooting. Likewise, it ill-serves this very, very good country, with all of its very real problems, and all of us in it, to falsely portray it as a pariah among nations, and to declaim, falsely and out of all perspective, the extent to which our youth are affected by violence -- including gun violence. Readers would do well to, read, for example, the Times' recent report on the gang violence in Latin America, where the body counts are higher than in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.
4
I take your point but, it’s a very solvable problem. Yes, the media get hysterical and makes it seem like the end of the world but, it is for those affected. Of course our rate of children violent deaths are lower than those of (some) other countries but, it doesn’t need to be as high as it is. Lives are needlessly wasted so one political party has a lever to gin up their base; no other reason. Seems profoundly hypocritical for a ‘Christian’ nation.
2
@Dennis
While I know that you're point of view will likely be lost in the sea of comments begging for stricter gun laws NOW, as always happens after a tragedy such as this, I can assure you that this moderate, independent thinker appreciates you sharing your views. I wish more people thought and acted as we do. Its truly a shame that more don't. Thank you Dennis.
2
To lay down your life for another is the greatest human virtue.
Active humble humane empathetic service is the minimum expected of civilized human beings.
The brief life of this brave honorable young man is a tiny spark of light in the Trumpian Age of Black Hole Darkness.
" Pwople make the world go round"
4
@Blackmamba
errata....People..
I would argue that politicians, rather than “the American society”, are unwilling to address the public health problem of gun violence. The majority of Americans favor more limits on gun purchases.
3
It makes me tear up reading this. As a parent, I can only imagine the mix of feelings the parents must have from deep sorry to a certain pride in their son's final heroic deed.
6
Rest In Peace, Riley Howell. I’ll never forget that your passing is not the result of the aberrant actions of a deranged man, but the product of a sick society whose values are so twisted that it would the sacrifice its young for the privilege of owning weapons of mass destruction. This country has repeatedly failed to face up to an existential challenge: Either shut down the nihilistic voices of hate and division proliferating on the right or live in a constant state of fear, suspicion and mourning.
5
"Of all the children killed in the world's twenty-three developed countries, 87 percent are American children." - Beating Guns - Hope for People Who are Weary of Violence by Claiborne (2019).
It seems at least three forces are driving gun violence 1) gun capitalists' greed - the proliferation and availability of guns, 2) a culture of violence amplified by mass entertainment and video games, 3) mental illness.
Developed countries that do not have this violence have found the solution. That solution has been tested and proven over time. Consider the experiences of Taiwan and Japan where civilian guns and ammunition are generally illegal. Australia and Canada are worth studying too.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of this fine young man, a BOY who laid down his life so others might live on. Will we, as adults, do anything to prevent the murders of more children? We must.
4
The best and worst of humanity, in one moment. It's very sad when the worst tries to have its way, but the best will always prevail.
3
Some lead head-long where others are afraid. Headless of the repercussions, to do the right thing. This boy's bravery is a lesson for us all.
1
The last sentence of the beautifully-written piece is utterly heartbreaking and beautiful, worthy of the greatest fiction. But it is not fiction. It is the end of a beautiful young man's life who has been sacrificed on the gory altar of greed, ignorance and hate. Recently I attended a talk at my local police precinct at which our worthy town police force spoke about what they do and how. They explained that the quantity of guns is overwhelming and most gun owners have at least four. On a chase, often a firearm will go flying out the car window to hide evidence. I asked: We have three strikes laws for drugs; shouldn't we have that for guns, too? The room erupted in uncomfortable laughter and the officer said he didn't want the talk to get political, second amendment, blah blah blah. This demonstrated to me what the problem is: The NRA has so politicized guns that we cannot even talk about them anymore. Until gun ownership is treated as the public health emergency that it is, more Riley Howells will die. Meanwhile, at the UNC Chapel Hill, campus, campus police are photographed shaking hands with armed white supremacists who come to intimidate anti-racist protestors. I can assure you, this WILL happen again because our government and legal system is doing nothing to stop it. Somewhere right now, another Riley Howell is getting up to have breakfast and go to school and he doesn't know he, too, will be deprived of his life too soon. I don't know why anyone is laughing.
8
The pictures detailing a young innocent Riley, the smiling, loving faces of a family now destroyed and lost in an endless sea of feelings. Add Riley Howell's name to the wall of shame, along with the little ones of Sandy Hook, the children of Parkland. the innocents of Las Vegas and on it goes. Where are the voices of those who can do something to attenuate this national epidemic of needless carnage? A time for action akin to what is happening in New Zealand - no more prayers or pathetic mumblings of insincere sympathy. We must ask ourselves why do we allow this to continue and implore or legislators to stand up to the NRA lobbyists and an administration that continues to piously sanction and condone the right of Americans to bear arms and use them against their fellow citizens.
3
Riley Howell is a hero. We should honor his name every day. IF everyone did, every politician, every mom, dad, preacher and teacher maybe this insanity would stop.
1
An extraordinary young man.
Bless that lovely man and his family.
5
Why does this happen again and again?
Here is how I see it.
- Carrying arms, even automatic weapons, is accepted as a constitutional right.
- If one shoots at bear cans and water melons, it is called “having fun”
- Parents teach their children how to hunt and kill animals “for sport”
- Some even pay a lot of money to go to Africa or to ranches in Texas to kill rare and endangered animals — which in a perverse way actually provides funding for conservation that our kindness does not.
- Children spend hours playing video games scoring points based on how many they killed. It is considered kids just “playing games” as any other, Monopoly or Scrabble.
- Violent movies are big box office hits.
- BUT if the kids raised in such a culture take it one step further and starts shootings and killing people, we are shocked and dismayed and call it “insanity” !!!
No, the insanity is inscribed in the constitution, and imbedded in the culture.
Is it so hard to see we live in a violent culture and we are merely seeing the consequences?
All of us who want to reject this culture of violence— I know it is a significant segment of the population — could start migrating to certain states and voluntarily give up guns. We can perhaps have several contiguous states populated with non-violent Americans. It is something we can do. Let us voluntarily reject guns and violence and declare some states as “non-violent and gun-free”, not through laws, but through free choice.
3
This is congressional medal of honor heroics, even if he wasn't in the service.
2
@William White
The young man was in ROTC.
"...unable or unwilling to mount a response to mass shootings ..." It's not so much about being unwilling but that fear mesmerizes / paralyzes. Riley stayed alert and acted.
2
I hope the university names a building and scholarship fund in his name. So extraordinary an act of courage that it’s almost incomprehensible.
2
Amazing. Thank you NYT for putting out a piece that highlights the hero and his family. Anonymizing the gunman and lauding the legacy of heroes instead within the media will help break the cycle of copycat murderers.
4
A dead society praising the dead and allowing the killing to go on.
3
I’m crying, reading about this exceptional young man,is heart breaking. What a brave and wonderful thing he did, at such a terrible cost. I’m sure there is a place in heaven for such a soul. Condolences to all who knew and love him.❤️
1
Remember Trump boasted publicly he could shoot a stranger on Fifth Avenue in NYC and get away with it (because he was so popular).
When an unstable person hears that, they might think "if Trump can do that, I can too").
We deserve a leader who doesn't joke about murder.
8
It is just unbearable to think that because we are not doing enough these days to prevent gun violence, our children will have to use their bodies to block the bullets.
2
Thank goodness the media focuses the attention on the true heroes, the student-victims and their families. These stories are heartbreaking. I work at a college. All three my children are on campuses and my spouse works in mall and store construction. We live in constant fear of perpetrators and gun violence. I keep my shade drawn in my office, and I have instructed my children too also. Thirty years ago, my husband actually took his sport riffle with him to college to participate on a team. He kept it in his room. So, what has happened to us? We are a pathetic culture managed by those that are supposed to represent us and simply don't.
150
Another guy was recently awarded a Medal of Freedom for playing golf really well. Maybe something along those lines ought to happen for a hero like this?
11
@CA
I said pretty much the same thing.
But we can count on the current "leadership" to do nothing that requires decency. Trump and company are too focused on feathering their own beds to even acknowledge true heroism.
Thank you, New York Times; this is the right approach to covering shootings. Don't give any oxygen to the shooter, don't show his picture, don't talk about his motivations (just, maybe, talk about how he got access to deadly weapons). Focus on the heroes, the victims, the survivors.
5
Heroic, no doubt.
So, as long as we can rely on totally selfless heroes, who make up the bulk of the population, of course, we don't have to do a thing to change the institutional-legal structure of gun ownership.
If you disagree, you're against the heroes! Jeez, all we want to do is arm everyone so that more heroes can come out and get posthumous accolades! You liberals want to tear that away from decent, hardworking Americans--answer me this: why are you so against American heroism?
And so on. It's not that satirical a satire, sadly enough.
I hate that we are growing so numb to school shootings. It's frustrating and scary and personally makes me feel impotent. All these active shooter drills are pretty useless when an armed person comes in shooting. God bless Riley Howell for managing to save so many lives while giving up his own promising life.
3
This young man should be the one given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
5
Just so people don’t forget, a 60yo woman jumped in front of the rabbi at the Chabad of Poway and saved his life, sacrificing her own. Continue to give her the recognition she’s due, please.
6
“Mrs. Henry-Howell . . . is angry that her son is dead, she said, but she cannot be upset that he took on the gunman. . . That was just who he was.”
With such incredible parents, it seemed to be Riley Howell’s nature to put the safety of others ahead of his own, regardless of the cost.
I keep thinking if the world had more Riley Howells in it, how wonderful and incredible it would be.
5
Beautifully written and reported.
2
How much greatness has the world been deprived of by losing great souls too soon?
3
I am NOT a crier by nature. Honestly. I am more apt to well up at a commercial than I am to cry when something tragic happens.…..and this kid brought me to full on ugly cry.
I am crying, right now, for the obvious reasons. His loved ones. His lost future. His father being a trauma surgeon and all that implies. The sleepless nights to come and the debilitating and undeniable truth that this was preventable.
Riley Howell is the sort of American that used to exemplify what it means for me to belong here, after coming as an immigrant. Your first line, "he kept charging". That shows his commitment, his courage, his verve. His selflessness. The ideals I hold dear that embody the American spirit. Why I wanted to belong in the US of A.
Across town, Trump gives a medal to Tiger Woods. And our disgusting Congress enables overt breaking of laws for what? To focus on laws that favor their own enrichment….all the while failing to protect my children and yours. And million of our fellow citizens gleefully enable it because, of all things, they are cheering Trump's assault on the most miserable of outsiders: migrants.
We have lost our moral center. We have lost our moral courage. When I dry my face, I will get up and go and be the kind of person that Mr. Howell exemplified. Forget Marvel. THIS is the battle that matters—the battle between greed and kindness, between truth and lies, between courage and hypocrisy, between good and evil.
9
The Howell’s are from a beautiful place. Go rest high on that mountain, Riley.
3
A moving and important tribute. The article rightfully focuses on Mr. Howell, while denying the gunman even his name. This was the top story on my NYT app - as it should be.
6
Shouldn't Riley be posthumously be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor or some other high honor for bravery? Because didn't he display the type of valor that an award such as that was created for?
2
A beautiful human being
1
This is the kind of thing that deserves a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.
But of course, giving this brave young man a medal wouldn't benefit our president in any way, wouldn't bring more crowds to his golf courses, or more fans to his rallies, and so it wonn't happen.
5
Apparently Riley Howell was an ROTC cadet.
That likely was a factor in the decision to bury him with full military honors.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/05/05/us/riley-howell-memorial-uncc-shooting/index.html
2
Great to see The Times not even mention the name or motivation of the low-life who murdered two innocent people, including Riley Howell, a bona fide hero.
I hope this is the beginning of a new Times policy to simply report such crimes, rather than aggrandize the perps.
3
Yup. Forget about gun control, folks. We'd like you to literally throw your body into the line of fire because gun control is right off the table. That's the best answer this failed country can come up with: Legislation is a non-starter because of Republicans, SOLELY because of Republicans. Therefore, they would prefer to use the rest of us as human shields. Remember that next time you vote, if you actually vote.
2
This article should be about the cowards who can't and won't pass legislation to control mass shootings. You're giving them a pass.
2
OK all of you “pro life” religious folks, it is time to step up and prove you really are supportive of life and not just the unborn. Make your political representatives know that this constant slaughter of young people is contrary to what you stand for. Changes to our existing gun legislation is no longer negotiable. It is necessary and a must. Ban assault and military weapons for oridinary citizens. Make people wanting to purchase weapons take courses in gun safety and obtain insurance to carry a gun. And having a national registry is not a bad idea. If we do this together, people with mental health problems or extremists tendencies may think twice about getting “stocked up!”
3
If anyone deserves a presidential medal of freedom , he does!!
2
This man, Mr. Riley Howell, a true hero.
Why is ‘our president’ giving the Medal of Freedom to Tiger Woods, golfer and employee of ‘our president’??
4
He is our hometown Hero, although I wish this was not our reality. My cousin was in the building across from the Kennedy building at UNCC. Those of us with loved ones on the campus all feel Thanks to Riley. Riley’s Grandfather was my dentist growing up, and they are such a loving family. This loss will be in our hearts, always. Riley will be Forever remembered. Riley’s family and loved ones will remain in our prayers. This article is well written, but hurts my heart even more. RIP RileyHowell
7
VOTE. Riley is counting on us to vote this gun madness into the past. If you are conservative and you vote republican, you are not just part of the problem, you are THE problem.
10
To destroy the rights of American citizens in the name of Riley would dishonor his memory.
... and all the "brave" politicians ban guns in their workplace!
12
How completely vulgar of the NY Times to put this moving report on the obverse of a page that has yet one more article about a royal baby, "to die for." It's not just that this idiom is grossly in appropriate in relation to a son who really did die for others, but it is part of a stream--from front page, to editorial, to op ed pieces--celebrating the a royal family with an obscene concentration of wealth, no obligation to pay taxes, individual clothing and travel budgets many multiples of the annual income of subjects who actually work for a living. Their sense of unique self-importance and deserving of all riches and media attention need not be supported by the paper of record, when there are children such as Riley Howell to honor, and parents such as his who are not "over the moon."
1
It’s not the papers job to stop gun violence it’s the Congress, it’s their job. Open your eyes and stop voting for the folks who allow guns everywhere, vote democratic
3
Terrible thing; that poor family. No one wants a dead hero.
How long are we going to allow this to go kn|?
2
Talk about presidential Medal of Honor...
3
If only our lawmakers could, too, be heroic and rise up against their masters at the NRA...
4
Why no picture of Riley himself?
6
@Philip
Please view the collage.
@Philip Thanks for your comment. I flagged it for our editors and they were able to add a photo of Riley Howell. Thanks for reading.
3
Hi Cory Gardner, our Senator from Colorado.
How’s all that NRA money feel when your constituents get innocently murdered?
You have blood on your hands forever!
6
A good guy with no gun takes down a bad guy with a gun.
4
Shame on this country that week after week, people are murdered by guns. Shame on the NRA, the president, the gun manufacturers and the instigators that help motivate the mental sickness of the shooters. What kind of country supports owning and buying multitudes of guns and automatic weapons? For what? Deer just stand there while men in 'camo' slaughter them but that's not enough. They must slaughter innocent people as well. Shame on them and damn them to hell. RIP dear young man Riley and may his family find some purpose in the horrible loss of yet another child who was doing his best.
3
What an absolute tragedy. My heart goes out to the Howell family, Riley's girlfriend and her family, and all of Riley's friends. He saved an untold number of lives on the day he lost his own. I hope everyone whom he saved in that classroom goes on to live an absolutely fantastic life full of purpose and love. Anything less would be an insult to Riley's memory and his sacrifice.
This article details that Riley was an uncommon young man of great character. The world is poorer without him in it, and I'm so tired of disaffected maniacs stealing these people from us because they're pissed about God knows what. I want them to get help, not hurt people. I want them to leave us the Rileys. I want them to leave us alone. I want them to leave us to live in peace.
And, in case anyone was wondering, Riley is what American greatness looks like. God bless you Riley. Go in peace, your work is done.
4
Mr. Riley Howell sounds like someone I would have liked to meet. But I know I already have. There are many genuine heroes among us who are not visible as such. They are not necessarily people of fame or high accomplishment, but people of character and sincere humanity. My condolences to his family for their loss, and a loss to all of us also.
2
What an amazing person to lose. I am grief stricken. But what a hero!
1
It is way past time to do something about the gun situation in America. This could be your son, your daughter, your loved one who is in the line of fire. I can't believe we are so protective of gun rights but not protective of our children's lives. We need to do something about it NOW.
8
Thank you for this story duly applauding this young man's courage and self-sacrifice. He indeed sounds like a unique individual, someone willing to give his life for others.
As many who comment here, it's a sad, sad state that such heroes have to exist in the first place. A country with so many blessings is cursed to have so many weapons, and so many occasions to use them to destroy each other.
Unlike many who comment, I continue to believe that our only solution is ultimately the banning of firearms altogether, even for sport. I have no illusion this will occur in any foreseeable future. And I believe the stockpiling of weapons will continue to amass. But a Wild West mentality, a survivalist mindset, and a radical emphasis on freedom over responsibility has given the Second Amendment an idolatrous ability to rule the national consciousness. Guns are gods, and they've received mythic importance.
Unfortunately, Mr Howell's memory will fade, and the next shooting will be a small -- or huge -- headline. We'll mourn, rage, and perhaps discover another hero. But we as a nation will be unable to move Congress and this President to a position to take significant action to curtail gun access, gun accidents, and gun violence. Just as with climate change, we deal only with today, we numb ourselves to tragedy, and we move on -- accepting the deaths of young and old, losing part of our soul along the way.
3
May there be no more need for heroes such as Riley Howell.
Riley Howell is rightly lauded for his actions on a day when it would never occur to him and others sitting in the last day of class that their lives were ending in only a few minutes.
However, Riley Howell's heroism was only required because the cowardice of others in the NRA, the Congress, and the weapons manufacturers. Riley Howell's heroism didn't have to be, he could have gone on to do even greater things in life as he would have likely done given his start. Sadly, the cowards took that from him, and from us.
The 2nd Amendment does not mean we have to allow ourselves to be massacred for the craven desires of a few. The framers never intended for wanton rage or destruction as stated in the opening "to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity".
Riley Howell gave up his posterity so that others may have theirs. We also deserve the domestic Tranquility and general Welfare for the people that a well regulated militia would defend.
3
No one who knew Riley Howell well was surprised by his decision in that U.N.C. Charlotte classroom on April 30th. This article is probably as close as most of the rest of us will ever get to making his acquaintance.
It's impossible for the human brain to do the Higher Math required to determine exactly how much good a story like Riley's or an article like Jim Dwyer and Myah Ward's will have on the world. The causes of cause and the ripples of effect are next to unfathomable. Perhaps that's why we've been cautioned not to judge, lest we be judged. It has been said that God works in mysterious ways.
Riley Howell's work here is done. Ours is not. His actions will whisper in our ear for a long time to come.
This morning I'm overcome with sadness thinking about ... the starkness of Riley's options that day, but of course he did ... exactly what he was born and raised to do. I'm crushed that so much goodness had to be condensed into 21 short years rather than spread over a long and loving lifetime.
All those good things he might have done have suddenly been entrusted to our imagination. Let's hope our imaginations can do something with them.
2
I appreciate the family's pain but as they were willing to open up about so many personal details I just wished they were asked how they felt about gun control. The alleged shooter's family said he never should have been able to get a gun.
If rationale gun control laws would have allowed even one Riley Howell to be able to lead a long life, aren't they worth it. There's nothing in the Constitution that says the Second amendment takes precedence to his right to life.
Once again a death laid firmly before the door of insanity of the NRA.
2
In a Times article on Mr Rogers, I learned that as a child he questioned his mother on way bad things happen to people. She told him (and me now) always look for the helpers around the bad things happening to people. They are always there. And please let me add, and hopefully Jim Dwyer will see this, that I was stunned in reading the comments after the piece on May 4, 1919 for China, that May 4 th was also the day of the Kent State massacres. I found no other memorials anywhere.
1
Reading about Riley, one can only think, "How can we have more men and women like this young man in the world, and less of those who hate, think only of themselves and quiver with cowardice when it is time to do the right thing." I want to thank Riley's parents for raising an exceptional human being and my condolences to them and his friends and family who will feel this loss. He saved lives last week but he now has reminded many of us of what it is to care for others, to make life meaningful. and to be bold and brave.
2
President bone spurs gave the medal of freedom to Tiger Woods, but of course President bone spurs, a man who besmirched the legacy of John McCain wouldn't know a thing about heroism, he's ever done anything noble or self-sacrificing in his life. In Trump view of the world, Woods is everything he holds highest, Woods is rich and famous, famous for a trivial thing, famous for being the best at hitting a little white ball around a golf course. There is nothing heroic about doing this, nothing self-sacrificing, nothing that inspires us to be better. We worship the fantasy world of sports because it precisely takes us away from reality of a finite life, we place our dreams in those swings at the plate, those thunder dunks and clutch shots. Sports is the great distraction.
Heroes are all around us, you will not notice them till they are needed, they will come from all walks of life and all professions, they have names like King, Wallenberg, Ghandi, Schindler, the countless names written on walls of honor, men and women who ran into the burning twin towers, who fought in wars to keep us a free people, very few were rich, very few famous, they are the true pantheon of human greatness, a list of true honor, that list grew by one this week.
We need people like this, because there are too many of the other sought. But it evens the odds in a strange way, because one hero is worth a million of the other kind.
1
Riley had the courage to act in the face of grave and immediate danger. He paid the ultimate price giving his own young life to save the lives of others. I am deeply humbled by this young mans totally selfless act of courage and conviction. It is fitting and necessary that we honor Riley and his family by seeking answers and demanding ACTION to prevent Gun Violence NOW and at the ballot box in every election!
2
Riley will be missed. We need more people like him.
1
By all accounts, Riley Howell embodied the qualities most hoped for in a young man: strength, determination, intelligence, creativity, character, and a strong nurturing side. Mr. and Mrs. Howell raised a beautiful son and my deepest sympathy goes out to them, to Riley’s siblings, and to all who loved him.
3
So sad and yet so necessary to read about Riley Howell. My deep condolences to his family and friends. As an instructor on a college campus, I hope I am able to respond with courage if someone ever threatens my students.
7
This story has captivated me and surprised me by making me feel something I have not felt in a long time, pride in our country. Mr. Howell represents what is good and decent in America. His selflessness stands in sharp contrast to the political "leaders" we presently have. I hope they can actually think about what he did and learn from it. Maybe then we can get back to true leadership and actual public service rather than (attempted) self-aggrandizement. In any event, he was stolen from us, but hopefully something positive will come from this so we can honor and respect his life. Bless him and his family, through the pain his family should know that the country is so proud of him and your family.
17
Condolences, love and prayers to the family. Your son is amazing.
2
Like many states, North Carolina has a law prohibiting possession of firearms on educational properties. The gunman was in violation of this law as soon as he stepped on UNCC's campus, well before he started shooting.
Of course as this incident proves, this law is entirely unenforceable, except for the fact that it keeps law-abiding citizens like Riley Howell from having the most effective means of self-preservation in case of an active shooter situation.
Courts have consistently ruled that police, whether municipal or university, have no obligation to provide protection. And obviously they didn't arrest the gunman at UNCC even though he was breaking the law before he started shooting.
Had Riley been in possession of a firearm, it is likely that he would be alive and the gunman would be dead, rather than the reverse. All those howling for "gun control" need to ponder that.
2
@Charles - "law-abiding citizens"
Almost all mass shooters, or those who owned the guns they used, turned out to be law-abiding citizens - right up until they aren't. That is when the NRA and gun culture disavows them as "not one of us" a "bad guy". But they weren't before. Defended right up until they stopped being model good guy "law-abiding citizens".
Had Terrell not had access to a gun or had a gun with the technology in his phone to stop it from firing at innocents it is likely that he would be alive along with Parlier would be alive and the others safe. All those howling for freedom to massacre need to ponder that.
9
Ugh. Please stop. Just stop. More guns is not the answer. Look at what other countries have done, New Zealand the most recent example, with great success. The answer will come when our leaders exhibit even a fraction of the bravery this young man showed. The problem is it won't happen. Not with our present leaders. So there will be more shootings, more senseless deaths, and more loss of true heros like Riley Howell.
5
Did you not read that Riley “was not a hunter?” You assume that people caught off guard by an active shooter would want to carry a gun, or more importantly, want to take the life of any human being. You also assume that even if he were armed, he would have successfully shot the suspect, and not an innocent bystander. Even police officers, with all of their training, have difficulty hitting a target — especially in chaotic conditions. The New York Police Department is the nation’s largest police force and among the best trained, yet its own study showed between 1998 and 2006, the average hit rate was 18 percent for officers in a gunfight. The fact is, armed civilians have put law enforcement in danger, delayed law enforcement responses, and posed a risk to innocent bystanders during active shooter crises.
4
I am honored to have shared life with as fine a man as Riley Howell. To all the people who helped create such a man, I am sincerely grateful. Selflessly sacrificing himself to stop this vicious, hate-filled attack is among the most noble events of recent times. I grieve for his loss, for his parents', girlfriend's, and friends' loss. I have total admiration for this fine young man. Thank you, Riley Howell, as deeply as I can say it.
8
Gun violence is just so senseless. Riley is a true Hero, but he should never have been put in this situation. Technology, Medicine, & Education have prospered through generations of many great minds over the past 100 years. Money & Greed have still been left to flourish through the NRA. America can do so much better than permit a Gun Association to play such a significant role in running politics & the country. Great Leaders & Minds can change the equation . People need to step up to the plate.
9
God bless Riley Howell and his family and his friends and community.
1
Greater love has no wo/man than to give up his/er life for another
Now that is a real hero. Pres. Trump should recognize this fine young man's bravery by awarding him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
4
Life not measured in numbers, that for many are just add-on's and meaningless, but in qualitative content, however short, is what's celebrated here.
Thank you Riley Howell for reminding me that the words "tremendous" and "hero" aren't slobbering banter from a certain politician or fake news conglomerates, but apply to the very ordinary folks living among us... thank you NYT for appropriately making this your cover story.
7
This is no way for a young man to lose his life. My most sincere condolences go out to his family and friends along with the wish that this country can do better. It is shameful that we have gotten nowhere on the control of guns.
5
I am in awe, that a young man’s death can be simultaneously so horrible and so wonderful.
6
If anyone deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom, it’s Riley. He sacrificed everything for everyone.
16
These are the marvelous people we lose to the madmen we allow to arm themselves with whatever a military unit might wish for.
Thank you heroic NRA. Sorry for the many brave politicians who constrain you so.
3
Riley Howell is surely a hero. RIP.
9
As one commentator put it, one of Americas best taken down by one of Americas worst. Unbelievable courage.
But this misses the point -- Riley Howell, the students at Columbine, Parkland, Sandy Hook, etc., should never have had to face this type of horror!!
The second Amendment is not an unlimited right of just anyone to carry whatever firearm they want, anywhere. This is not normal, and it must stop.
23
It's about time this story made headlines, dudes a hero!
5
They celebrate a hero who gave up his life. They scorn a cop fearful for his life in other shootings. There is a desperate need to
to paint this ugly scene of carnage with any other colors than the real ones.
1
Such a waste of so much human potential for a senseless act of violence. One normally relates a tribute like this to an act of war but in this case it was on a college campus, of all places.
UNCC Class of 1974
10
Good guy without a gun, stops bad guy with a gun. I'd love to see a newspaper with the gumption to print that as a headline.
9
Thank you, thank you, thank you--and thank you again-for not doing yet another story about some gross murderer's difficult background that supposedly helps explains his actions blah blah blah, but more, for making Riley Howell and his heroic efforts the lead story of today's paper.
I've read enough about mass murderers for a lifetime. They are all the same. The Riley Howells of this world are the few and far between, and they are the ones who are different.
10
I live in Austin. The University of Texas allows students to conceal carry - including in classrooms. This deranged loser with sick intentions would have thought twice about entering a UT classroom where he would probably be met with deadly force. This is not the ultimate solution to the problem of gun violence, or an elegant one either, but until we find the answer, we are better off armed to confront these threats. This is a new reality. RIP Mr. Howell.
4
That said, the research suggests more UT Austin students will die from a gun if they all carry. Maybe no mass shooting, but that’s actually not likely to happen to them anyway. But people with access to a gun are twice as likely to die as those who don’t, driven by increased suicides and accidental shootings.
Mass shootings happen on a tiny fraction of campuses each year. Suicides happen on the regular and are just as tragic wastes of life. I shudder to think what would happen to rates if every college student had a gun in their dorm room.
Another sacrifice at the alter of our forefathers’ mistake. Time to abolish the 2nd.
10
@Hmmm Our forefathers called for a "well-regulated militia." They never suggested that any random citizen should be able to own a firearm.
11
@Hmmm
It's our current "fathers" who choose not to read and comprehend the words of their fathers in a well regulated militia.
2
What a waste. This is the cost of America's stupid gun culture: we spend valuable lives in service of a myth. This young man is indeed a hero and should never be forgotten, yet Republicans will make certain this sad burlesque continues, unimpeded by calls for decency or grace, as long as they profit.
18
A giant tree has fallen.
283
@JALH
What an absolutely true and wonderful way of saying it. And thank you, NYT, not not giving a name to the nameless.
10
...and sadly, if nothing changes, they’ll be no one left to hear it.
9
I cannot even read these stories anymore. Totally numb and dumbfounded that we as Americans are unable to put an end to these types of incidents. We can fight wars in countries and places where we have no business being, but we cannot protect our future from shootings. There will be more ‘thoughts and prayers’ messages and once more nobody will tackle the white elephant in the room.
397
@Ingo Schmidt I am numb as well but I was so encouraged to read about the heroism that this young man showed that in some small sense it's a comfort to his family knowing that he did not give his life for nothing. He clearly saved others and did the only thing that he could, faced with a horrific situation. I wish and hope there are more stories about this young man (and other heroes) to counter, in part, the worst of the human race that we're inundated with on a daily basis.
14
@Ingo Schmidt, thank you.
5
@Ingo Schmidt alas, we can; we just won’t.
6
It is an additional tragedy that everyday people are throwing themselves in the firing line, while politicians can’t even get up the nerve to pass common sense gun reform.
739
@Ellen Vee
What ?, and miss a check from the NRA?
28
@Ellen Vee
Best comment, unfortunately, for all the tragic reasons.
25
@Ellen Vee
Indeed, our fearless leaders must all take pride in the Mr. Howell's of our world.
5
A truly remarkable young man. Riley Howell this world is a better place because you were here. So sorry no one was able to protect you and so sorry for your family’s devastating loss. You gave yourself for others and you are among the angels. God bless.
16
It is cold comfort to the family, but Riley Howell is what all American's should strive to be. A true Hero. A true definition of the Land of the Free and Home of The Brave.
If everyone would stop whining about these shooters and charge them, no matter what like Riley did thinking, not on his watch. In time we would see less and less of these attacks as the things would realize that they were not installing terror but heroism.
Don't let Riley die in vain. Prepare to live up to his example!
5
Riley Howell’s adventurous, kindhearted, courageous spirit is profoundly moving. He lived life being true to his values and was a spirited renegade bringing love and joy to so many. What a tragedy that such a shining star lost his life on the brink of adulthood. Let’s follow Riley’s lead here and stand up to the evil scourge of gun violence.
6
I wish we would stop even sharing the name of the gunman. I don't want them to receive any level of notoriety or fame--I worry it might be part of their motivation to receive all the attention, even posthumously.
7
The heroism of Riley Howell is as heart-breaking as it is heart-warming. The loss of such a brave and beautiful young man is simply overwhelming, and one's heart goes out to his family, friends and all who knew him. He is a true American hero--the "good guy without a gun" who sacrificed his life so that others might live. And that is the heart-warming part of reading about Mr. Howell--knowing that there is in the young generation of Americans those like Riley Howell who will make the "ultimate sacrifice." If only the politicians who allowed the "bad guy" who murdered Riley to have a gun would honor him by deeds, not word, and finally act to regulate guns so that we don't lose more Riley Howells.
11
This is tragic and we owe this young hero and our kids and all citizens so much more than living with the daily fear and reality of gun violence. It's time to take to the streets. I'm voting on this issue. We need to take a hard-line on gun ownership. The rights of gun owners do not trump the rights of these kids (including this wonderful boy) to live a full, rich life.
6
Riley Howell is a hero, a war hero, in the war against gun violence. My heart breaks for his family. I am overwhelmed by his bravery. There is no reason for this war to exist, it is completely in our control to end it.
9
He was in ROTC. Clearly he was well trained and would have served the country honorably. A military service is fitting for someone so brave and selfless.
10
I wish our right wing politicians would look at Mr. Howell and see what courage and heroism looks like.
They who cowtow to the creep in chief knowing the wrong he does but selfishly continuing to support him.
Mr. Howell is a national hero! Let's find a way to celebrate his courage!!!!
May he rest in peace and may his family be comforted by the love he is receiving all over the country.
2
I saw the first report of Riley on CNN's web site. I shed some tears for all the reasons millions of Americans have surrounding gun violence. Positioned next to Riley's story, was the continuing story with the featured celebrity mother and her husband leaving court pleading not guilty in the college admission scam. For me, it was a mash-up of so many emotions, the state of our society, and who gets a clean look in the mirror.
Thank you for the tender reporting on Riley Howell. He is a hero.
6
Riley grew up in our church in Waynesville. Those of us who knew him are not at all surprised that he reacted as he did in that classroom last week.
We are sad here because this has touched our small mountain town west of Asheville very deeply. And we are angry here, because our kids, and Riley, deserve better.
We see threats in our world, threats from racism, threats from Russia and China, threats to our Constitutional Republic. We face threats daily to our domestic tranquility from the scourge of gun violence. And we expect those we elect to lead us to run toward those threats, to protect us from those threats, to overcome those threats.
Yet our elected officials disappear in the face of those threats, completely satisfied to shrink into their comfortable, even extravagant lives, making political calculations based on where they can get the next big campaign contribution.
We deserve better. May God have mercy on our souls.
677
Let us not point fingers at politicians when our neighbors carry guns and kill animals for “sport” and proudly support the NRA. Our violent children are merely holding a mirror, showing us who we really are: a violent culture.
18
Kevin Brock, I hope the residents of Waynesville, all the residents of Waynesville, will make a concerted effort to make Senators Burr and Tillis and Congressman Meadows aware of your anger.
40
@Kevin Brock
Very much in sympathy with your comment, Sir.
You have the capacity and force of character to make a difference.
Please bring these to bear in your community in the coming months so that hope can be restored in November 2020.
God Helps Those Who HelpThemselves and his mercy is unconditional, but we must make every effort in the good fight just like Riley did.
Thanks for sharing. Carry on stronger.
16
Thank you first to Riley Howell for showing the world that there are still good, brave people in this world. Thank you NY Times and the Howell family for sharing Riley's story.
May we all learn to follow Riley's example of selflessness and humanity and make a positive impact on the people in our lives.
15
Wow, what a hero! I am so sorry for your loss...but so thankful to you for bringing the world such an inspiring man. With love and prayers for your family-
5
Let's not argue for a moment. We all have our views, but surely we can all, all of us together, look up for just one moment and watch one our best blaze brightly across a sky where only our better angels fly.
20
If only our politicians had 1/10th the courage this young man had what a different country this would be.
47
Mr. And Mrs. Howell, By raising Riley to have such strength of character, you saved other parents from suffering the unfathomable pain you are now going through.
20
As a father of two this broke my heart. Reading this and other news about gun violence, I wish (secretly) that USA was a dictatorship where some dictator issued an edict for zero gun ownership except for the law enforcement agencies.
What a brave man and selfless man! I salute the parents of this great young man for raising him to be ready to sacrifice his life for others.
Can NRO tell us if any of their members is similar to this young man in their courage and selflessness?
8
@AB,
Mean to say NRA at the bottom.
The US doesn’t need to be a dictatorship to enact sensible gun regulation. In the 1990s the US banned assault weapons in response to a wave of mass shootings. Sound familiar?
We can all work together to solve this.
I’m sorry for the Howell family’s loss.
3
Howell, not Woods, should receive the Medal of Freedom (posthumously, obviously) for what he did.
Absolutely nothing against Woods, here, but at the end of the day, being a great golfer doesn't merit the MoF.
What Howell did, on the other hand, certainly does.
52
@Robert Please -- don't use every event to attack Trump. I agree Howell should be honored. Don't know if the presidential medal of freedom is the right award, but there should be something appropriate and meaningful.
But get your facts straight. There are 3 other golfers who have won the presidential medal of freedom, many other athletes, writers, musicians, hollywood types. Woods certainly deserves the award.
2
R.I.P. Riley Howell. I will honor your death by fighting for better gun laws. I will honor your death by only voting for Representatives who will fight for stronger gun laws. I will honor your death for by making phone calls, joining protests and voting so this doesn't happen to another family.
36
Yes! We ALL must do more of this!
5
How can you not, while mourning this one loss among many, celebrate the life of this young man.
At least for this moment, I need to step away this national nightmare...
And give thanks for this one hero among many who have stepped up, from the ultimate sacrifice of many lives, to those who simply debate this American tragedy with a friend.
Though I never knew him, and now will never have the chance to, I am grateful for his time among us.
17
He was a good guy without a gun; unarmed and unafraid.
50
Thank you NYT for telling Riley Howell’s story.
58
For once, an emotional, comprehensive and toughful tribute to a mass shooting hero... with very little space for the killer to get any fame from...
37
@Charles Langlois Refreshing is it not?
I'm sure the shooter's "issues" will be played up to the hilt, but I really don't care anymore.
The worse thing for a maladjusted attention seeker is to be ignored. May his name be nothing but a foot note, with no explanation on the why.
There is nothing to justify the slaughtering innocent people.
Riley, your crown in heaven has many stars. We all wish you weren't there so soon.
4
I did not know Riley Howell, but I am in tears reading this and I can not fathom the horrific loss his family will now have to live with. It could be any of our children next falling victim to an insane evil person armed with a gun. Why? Why aren't citizens rising up to demand that access to firearms be restricted? Why have we allowed the archaic Second Amendment to be twisted by the NRA and the GOP?
64
@Roberta
Why? Because we have met the enemy and they are us... we are destroying ourselves. This divided nation is falling and people either don’t care or figure it’s not serious since the economy and the stock market are doing well.
15
@Roberta
Because some people value their hobby more than our children.
3
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. -- John 15:13
There is no greater tragedy that sacrifices such as Mr. Howell's could be avoided if we had a healthy relationship with guns and their regulation.
37
And with this selfish act comes losses we'll never be able to comprehend. Caring souls were taken from us, once again gun violence leaving behind more unsung songs and each of us wondering what could have been.
13
They really should name a street or maybe even a campus building after this great young man.
19
Meanwhile Donald Trump instead of addressing guns and what seems to be almost daily mass shootings is giving an adulterer like himself a medal of freedom. what tiger has done to earn this award escapes me. such great leadership
14
@rich
This really has nothing to do with Tiger Woods or even Trump. It's the GOP that refuses to stand up to the NRA. They are the ones that should be shamed after something like this when one young man showed more courage than all the GOP Senators and Congressmen.
4
My thoughts exactly. I just could not find the incentive to associate those two with Riley in any way by mentioning them.
Riley should have gotten the Presidential Medal yesterday posthumously.
34
Current mindset in the North Carolina general assembly is everyone should be armed. Waynesville is Trump Country which is all of NC except for Asheville, Charlotte, Durham and Chapel Hill. Reap what is sewn NC.
10
“And although he was not in the military, Mr. Howell received tributes common to the burials of people in the armed services.”
My understanding was that he was either in the ROTC or at least took ROTC classes, hence the honor guard at the funeral.
In any case, sympathy to the Howell family. And also a thank you to his parents for raising the son/hero that they did.
21
There is a narrative out there on the internet by people who admire the Columbine shooters and other similar murderers. Some of our current shooters hold them in awe,and consider them heroes to be emulated.Some are inspired by them.
Telling Riley's story could start a counter-narrative; that real heroes save lives,and that school house murderers are just ...murderers.
I thank the Times, for bringing this young man's selfless act of courage to my attention.
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@Steven
And thank you, NYT, for not naming the gun person.
2
As we mourn this brave man's death, we should also be wary of concluding that the solution to gun violence is quick, courageous action by those in the line of the shooting.
No, the solution to gun violence is to treat the ownership and use of guns as a public health menace, like tobacco, and regulate it accordingly.
We need all of our Riley Howells alive and making the world a better, safer place, not wounded and dead because we do not have the collective courage to demand an end to mindless open violence from weapons whose only purpose is to shatter and kill.
79
Mr. Howell’s actions were indeed heroic and a credit to him and his loved ones. Focusing stories on his heroism is, however, doing his sacrifice a disservice. Mr. Howell is dead because our schools and our national response to mass murder in them are woefully inadequate, as summed up in the instructions he and his classmates received: run, hide, fight. When we as a nation decided that Wayne LaPierre would speak for us on the issue of mass murder by gun in schools - particularly after the Newtown murders - we decided that we prefer our children to be murdered in their classrooms rather than take any action that *might* reduce access to weaponry and lower a national death count because Mr. LaPierre told us his annual salary was just more important. We as a nation made that choice by inaction, by active encouragement, and by indifference. Celebrating Mr. Riley’s heroism without acknowledging our sin is another decision that Mr. LaPierre’s obscene salary is more important than our children’s lives.
33
To NOT quote Wayne LaPierre -
The person who can stop a bad guy is a good guy with a heart and soul!
Rest in peace, love and righteousness, Riley. Thank you.
10
I am so sad reading this. Couldn’t go past first few paragraphs. What a brave young man, saved countless lives with this selfless act.
I wish our policy makers had just an ounce of bravery like his and pass the strict gun control laws that could have saved young guys like him. But that’s hoping too much.
My deep sympathies and prayers for his parents. I am sorry for your loss.
33
Riley's story has affected me in a way I can't fully explain. I hope to be more like him. My deepest sympathies, tears, and prayers are with this family.
37
"unable or unwilling to mount a response to mass shootings...", this is truly tragic.
Mr Riley deserves all praise and accolades as well as meaningful change in gun laws where one is not expected to have to act in a heroic manner to see another day. We can do better.
48
Mr. and Mrs. Howell,
My deepest sympathies to you and your family for your tragic loss, and ours also for such a fine, brave and decent young man.
He saved so many lives.
34
Thank you NYT for honoring Riley this morning and by making this story the lead article. I just cannot even grasp the enormity of this young man's courage and selflessness. Love and sincere condolences to his family and friends.
121
True hero and so sad that the nation will miss out on contributions from someone as selfless and caring as this.
At some point, we need to regulate guns and not expect people throwing themselves at gunman to be an acceptable solution.
When it doesn’t seem to make sense, the answer is usually money. Too many people making too much money from guns.
52
It is sad that should Reilly have incapacitated the shooter with a gun rather than his life, he would have been praised nationwide by the President and the NRA; both instead have been mute.
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@Tom From
Yep. Trump is not going to say anything that goes against his supporters in Trump Country and Waynesville, NC is Trump Country. Only thing he will say is that firearms should be allowed on campuses. NC has moved in this direction. This will end up moving state closer to open carry on campus. NC has already moved to give teachers bonuses for carrying firearms in schools after training. The country is destroying itself.
25
"Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
37
He, Reilly Howell, is National hero - to Arlington!
From one - out of many others - who took part in 2 wars.
Proud be Reilly's parents to have brought him up to be what he was.
27
Reading this article has brought me to tears--so much love for Riley and his family and everyone affected.
I am immediately drawn to an analogy just thinking of Riley's courage, sense of determination and decisiveness, and instinct to risk everything to protect his other young peers standing in harm's way.
May we all have the same intuition and love in our hearts to stand up, though difficult it may be, to the powers that be that would let such circumstances continue unchecked. We have to run straight toward them and disarm their worst manifestations (read: stricter regulations!) to ensure the safety of our children.
39
When all the shooters have been forgotten, let Riley Howell's name be honored.
128
@Diane Yes and that is another reason why New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern said that she would never utter the name of their shooter. These deranged idiots should remain nameless. I was sorry to see that the NYTimes added the shooter's name in this wonderful article about Reilly Howell. That name does not belong in this newspaper.
12
@Rosalind Thank you for your comment. We published an article about some of the decisions we made in our coverage of the New Zealand attack and how we approach covering similar ones: https://nyti.ms/2ugm5zR. We hear these concerns about giving notoriety to killers so we try to publish their names judiciously. I hope this helps. Thank you for reading.
4
How many more of these heart-breaking stories are we going to read? 140 dead in schools since Sandy Hook. America has to look itself in the face and do something. They did it in Australia and they did it in New Zealand. Start with assault rifles, which have no place outside the military. Then go along with the majority of the people and do real background checks of everyone buying a weapon. And maybe the NRA will implode out of sheer greed.
58
Apparently, ‘a good guy with a gun’ is *not* the only thing that can stop ‘a bad guy with a gun.’
75
May Riley Howell be blessed forever, and may his family and friends find comfort. What a beautiful being__inside and out.
37
What an absolutely extraordinary young man. And to echo the Westmorelands' sentiment: of course he was. How could he have been anything else?
I just want to weep.
51
This fine young man would be alive today with a bright future if only we didn’t have hundreds of millions of weapons readily available to some nut with murderous intent.
We need to do more than simply mourn this tragic loss and end this insanity by reducing the amount of guns in circulation , particularly assault weapons.
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@Andrew
One commentator put it perfectly:
"I have seen it suggested that a building be named after Riley; I have another suggestion: name an anti-gun law after him."
3
How many more heroes - all ages, faiths, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds? Another day where the lives of innocent people here are needlessly ended by the deranged. And we continue to have legislators with blood on their hands because they pander and cave to the gun makers and the shameless NRA leadership and lobbyists. No prayers or specious words from our politicians will ever heal the wounds and unimaginable grief of the families left behind. Time to stop this made in America madness and follow the lead of New Zealand where action, not words, are witnessed. How many more heroes - in our streets, places of play, worship, learning - we now live in a war zone presided over by national leaders who simply don't care to address this national epidemic. My heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the Howell family, their son Riley our latest fallen hero.
32
RIP Riley.
True American hero.
17
Such an extremely talented beautiful human being. His parents raised a unique treasure in this very cold selfish world.
During this unbelievable grief the family can take solace that their son was empowered with grace from above now walks with a higher being.
During his short time on earth Riley made the world a better place and we can repay him by being people of character. We all have a purpose and We need to look to Riley for inspiration.
New York Times ,thank you for informing us who this special man was.
29
New York Times, thank you for doing your part to keep the name and legacy of this true American hero alive; too often we only remember the name of the killer.
My very sincerest condolences to the Howell family. Riley's life was far too short, but what a mark he has left on the world. You must be amazing parents to have raised such a young man.
I have seen it suggested that a building be named after Riley; I have another suggestion: name an anti-gun law after him.
Riley Howell, American hero.
Riley Howell, American hero.
Riley Howell, American hero.
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@T
"I have seen it suggested that a building be named after Riley; I have another suggestion: name an anti-gun law after him."
Inspiring. I wish I could recommend a thousand times.
8
If I had another son, I would name him Riley Howell.
61
Such a waste on so very many levels. Another nut with a gun. When are Americans going to learn? Create an amendment for intelligent discourse and responsible behaviour which is far more representative of Americans than the right to bear arms.
41
Had he lived, Riley seems like hero who would likely, and typically, have downplayed the whole thing. “I didn’t even think about it.” “Anyone else could have done the same.” “I just knew I had to act.”
Human beings are capable of amazing acts of courage and bravery. We wouldn’t all be capable of doing what Riley did but I like to think there are many who would be. I gives me a little hope in the crazy world of gun violence.
27
@Gerald:
For me, there is no hope in reading of Riley's selflessness and bravery. I am filled with rage that this young innocent was snatched of his life and from his family, and yes society for no good reason.
Only to benefit our sacred NRA. I am a 85 year old grandmother bereft of hope. Not in my lifetime!
6
Thank you NYT for giving this hero the lead story this morning.
345
@Schwester I agree. Trump gets way too much coverage. The climate change emphasis of late and stories like this need to be in the headlines more IMHO.
6
Finally
6
@Schwester
The best thing, of course, would have been for this shooting to have never happened. However, it is good to see that--for a change--the NY Times and other media members have made Riley Howell the face of the tragedy instead of the usual all-shooter, all-the time.
3
This young man should get the Medal of Freedom.
175
Yes he should but not if it’s awarded by the current President.
36
Many many many thousands of us are in prayer for the Howell family, in their grief.
38
Mister Howell acted in the moment and, in the highest tradition, gave his life that others might live.
Honour him.
And to his parents. I realize that your grief will never fully abate, but you may take pride in the fact that you did well and that you raised your son to care for the welfare of others. He was a good man. May your grief be tempered with this pride. You have my most sincere condolences.
106
I'll be in the minority here, but I don't think it was a good idea to confront a crazed man with a gun.
3
Heroism is very rarely a ‘good idea’.
22
@David Henry It was either do nothing and die in that classroom or do something and die. He chose to do something and saved the lives of his classmates.
6
@David Henry
... and the alternative?
4
What a glowing tribute to such a fine and deserving young man. A forever lesson to learn and cherish about sacrifice, bravery and decency. Time for Americans to do the right thing - base our decisions on principle and values - not political expediency.
Time for the NRA to support intelligent gun limitations. Too many needless deaths. A real problem unique to the USA and for which our politicians have no guts to tackle - not because the issues are 'wrong' but because they lack the principles and values. Not every enacted law is a zero-sum game.
Let this young man's example lead. My condolences go out to his family and friends.
42
What a beautiful person. I weep for him and our paralyzed country. It seems only heroes like Riley Howell are capable of actual action in the face of the grinding reality of ubiquitous active shooters and ineffectual governmental bickering.
36
It is so nice to see a young person with such character in a time when so few display self-sacrifice and character. He was "real" in the sense that he gave it all for others, like Christ. God speed him to a realm even higher than he was living at, and died at.
13
Riley Howell is a true American hero.
My Son and Daughter have, so far, escaped gun violence in their college classrooms but I think about it every day. I felt the need to do something so I am contributing to a cause started by the parents of the Sandy Hook children. A cause not started to take citizen's guns away but to help legislate sensible gun laws/restrictions as they do, successfully, in other countries. A gun should be treated like a motor vehicle with mandatory training, licensing and insurance. Start now and maybe in 30 years, mass shootings will be impacted.
351
@Mark1021 I, too, support the Sandy Hook parents' work. (While we might differ a bit on the issue of motor vehicle ownership/operation being legally a state-regulated privilege and gun ownership being a Constitutional right, our common interest should supercede that.) But I urge you to study the real data in order to understand that your college-age kids are literally many dozens of times more likely to be killed in their prime by other means than a mass shooting on campus. See my other post, and, to understand the real data, start by reviewing and understanding this information:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65_04.pdf
2
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (KJV)
68
I am very conservative but the glorification of guns over human life needs to end. I’m not saying do away with guns but ownership of them and what type of guns allowed for civilian use needs to be curtailed. I am still stunned that the massacres at Sandy Hook and Las Vegas didn’t garner any change of heart from conservatives.
The young man should not be dead because some idiot is having a bad day. He should be alive with his family and friend.
497
David Henry, that is unfair. One can be conservative without supporting unfettered access to military-style weapons or even without supporting legislation denying women the right to terminate pregnancies when needed. So-called liberal stances on those two issues can be held by people who are conservative in other areas of thought.
32
@David Henry I don't think that is fair to Ed. The simple label of "conservative" does not "implicate" him on one particular topic. We have no idea what his positions are on myriad topics that so-called conservatives and liberals so vehemently disagree on. Note that he called himself, "conservative", not "a conservative"; there's a difference. I am liberal on many topics, conservative on some others and down the middle stripe of the road on yet many others. Labeling each other and acting as if that label makes us monolithic in support for - or opposition to - all topics under that umbrella is one of the reasons why opposing groups no longer debate, but rather simply yell at each other.
39
@TommyDean Thank you for your excellent reply to @David Henry's comment. You are absolutely right about labels. You are correct that it is wrong to generalize and to tarnish and blame someone based solely on a comment to an article, whose full opinions we don't know, as somehow responsible for an atrocity that they didn't actually have anything to do with. It doesn't help when our views descend into accusations. And in this case, it loses the focus of our attention which should be on Mr. Riley and his bravery, and his family's generosity in sharing Riley's story with the world and their unspeakable grief.
10
A beautiful portrait of a young man and his family. I'm so sorry for their loss, and the lonely job of making sense of all of this.
The kids table will never be the same.
90
Shootings have become all too common and heroes all too rare. Bless you Riley Howell for reminding us that heroes still exist.
226
My first instinct is to think, "Ah, how tragic. A beautiful young man with his whole life ahead of him cut short at such a young age. Think of all he would have accomplished had he lived to old age."
But then, even had he lived to be 100, it is unlikely that he would have done something more important, more valuable, more life-affirming and with greater impact on the lives of others than what he accomplished in those few seconds. His is a life wholly and fully lived. The rest of us can only hope to live lives so fully realized.
80
Thanks for writing this. I have been in awe of Riley’s bravery since learning about the shooting, but today’s article really brought this American hero to life.
88
Maybe we can't stop what's coming but Riley Howell did all he could to stop this tragedy in the making that snuffed out his beautiful life and saved many others.
26
I am very sorry that we have lost this young man. Even more so, because it does not have to be like this.
154
My thoughts and prayers are with Riley Howell's family. May you find peace. Your son was an exceptional human being! As I sit here reading this article and crying, I ask myself when will the madness stop. Our nation must do everything necessary to create the necessary restrictions to keep guns out of the hands of these tortured souls. The violence must end and every American must demand change.
121
A hero and a truly beautiful human being.
40
As others have said, a hero without a gun.
May he rest in peace.
88
I hope he will be named the Man of the Year.
93
@G.S.
Yes, and he should get the 'Presidential Medal of Freedom.'
27
Riley Howell is truly a hero.
Some run towards trouble.
I hope more follow his example.
Charge these killers en masse and stop them permanently.
17
I have a tear in my eye writing this. RIP Godspeed and I hope to be a better person at 3 times his age plus.
28
@arthur
I have many tears right now, and I too hope to be a better person
1
Brave, Brave boy. The mark of a hero is how they act in a moment of terror and crises. Riley Howell choose to run towards danger and death in the hopes of saving others. He is a genuine hero.
37
Each time I read about this young mans sacrifice, my eyes well up with tears. A profound feeling of honor and respect for being a real and true example of selfish courage.
42
Mr. Riley certainly deserves all the praise and honouring. What he didn’t deserve is to live in a place, the richest country in the world, where school massacres are almost deemed acceptable.
532
@Francisco Delgado
There’s no “almost” about it.
16
@Francisco Delgado, They are absolutely deemed acceptable. One gun rights supporter said America is a gun culture, gun violence and mass killings are going to happen, our society accepts it, and there's nothing we can do about it. Absolutely sickening.
5
This young man was a hero. My sympathies are with his family and friends.
Unfortunately, there are few heroes in our government who will stand up to the NRA and the gun fanatics. Apparently the rights of the rest of us are trumped (sad pun intended) by the mean, cruel, vicious and the bought who refuse to stand up for our safety and the safety of our children.
355
A beautiful story that has brought me to tears.
"A million lights are dancing, and there you are, a shooting star."
The world is worse off because he’s no longer here. To the Howell family, thank you for sharing your son with us, for sharing his story. Much love to you all.
635
"He kept charging. A bullet to the torso did not stop Riley Howell. A second bullet to the body did not prevent him from reaching his goal and hurling himself at the gunman who opened fire last week inside a classroom at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The third bullet came as Mr. Howell was inches from the gunman, who fired at point blank range into his head."
Mr. Riley Howell was a man and a "true" American hero to his friends.
King James Bible - John, Chapter 15 > Verse 13
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
205
True instinctual courage, a genuinely heroic act. Impossible not to grieve for the parents of all the children in our society facing this increasingly likely tragedy. It is a scenario that should never have happened.
57
Dear Howell Family,
Thank you for sharing your son, brother, and cousin with all of us. He is of blessed Memory.
Our world is less because he is gone.
Sincere prayers for you all.
81
A truly inspirational story about a heroic young man who stopped carnage instead of creating it. My heart is with his family, I am truly sorry for their loss.
187
Brilliant reporting of a tragic loss to us all.
45
My heart goes to Howell's family. May God bless them for raising such a hero.
64