WASHINGTON — Peter Wang was one of 17 people gunned down in last week’s school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Wang was part of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). Now there’s a White House petition for the 15-year-old to receive a full honors military burial to recognize his ultimate sacrifice.
He died in uniform, wearing his gray JROTC shirt.
Wang’s cousins told local news outlets that he was last seen holding a door open so other students could escape the gunfire. Lin Chen said she wasn’t surprised to hear her cousin was seen helping others get away.
“He is so brave. He is the person who is genuinely kind to everyone,” she told the Sun-Sentinel.
One cousin described him as someone who didn’t care about being popular. She also said he liked to cheer people up and was like a big brother to others.
A White House petition is calling for him to receive a full honors military burial because “Wang died a hero and deserves to be treated as such.”
ABC Local 10 News reports Wang’s friends started the petition.
To get a response from the White House, the petition needs 100,000 signatures by March 18. Nearly 15,000 signatures have been gathered so far.
