Candles glow and the Westlake High School Choir sings to celebrate the lives of four seniors who passed away since July @WTOP #Waldorf pic.twitter.com/edgkdu9uR3
— Michelle Basch (@mbaschWTOP) March 9, 2017
WALDORF, Md. — Four seniors from Westlake High School have passed away since the summer.
In July, 17-year-old Caleb Horne’s heart stopped due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
In October, Reuel Hicks, 18, was shot and killed behind a movie theater. (A 19-year-old man has been charged in the death.)
And on Friday, Colin Bipat and Desmond Cooke, both 17, were killed when the car they were in hit a utility pole.
Relatives and friends of the four gathered Wednesday evening in the school stadium to remember them.
“The loss is something we look at selfishly,” said Michael Meiser, Westlake High’s principal. “We must step back and be grateful that we had time to share with these four young men.”
Horne’s mother, Pam, had a message for the rest of the Class of 2017: “Don’t let grief or fear stop you from moving forward.”
Hicks’ mother announced that his girlfriend is pregnant, and that a baby boy is due in June.
School counselor Marie Burgess’ voice broke as she spoke about Cooke. “He didn’t love anyone more than his mom. Everything he did was to try to make her proud.”
At the end of the event, attendees lit candles, and the Westlake choir sang “See You Again,” a hit by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth.
The song includes the lyrics: “It’s been a long day without you my friend, and I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.”
