A petition was launched seeking full military burial honors for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High student Peter Wang, the JROTC cadet who helped save lives at the cost of his own during the murderous rampage by a fellow student at a Florida high school.
According to other students, the 15-year-old Wang, a member of the school’s JROTC program, “was holding a door to let other students out before him” as alleged attacker Nikolas Cruz aimlessly roamed the halls of the school, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
The young man hoped to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Wang, who was wearing his JROTC uniform during the assault, was shot and killed after helping others to flee the shooter. Supporters say that the young man “died a hero.”
The petition posted to WhiteHouse.gov is urging the U.S. military to afford the hero a military funeral and asks for Wang to receive full military honors.
“Peter Wang, 15, was one of the students killed in Florida this past week. He was a JROTC Cadet who was last seen, in uniform, holding doors open and thus allowing other students, teachers, and staff to flee to safety,” the petition says. “Wang was killed in the process. His selfless and heroic actions have led to the survival of dozens in the area. Wang died a hero, and deserves to be treated as such, and deserves a full honors military burial.”
As of press time for this report, the petition was closing in on 26,000 signatures. But 75,385 are needed by March 18 to received action by the White House.
Wang’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday, February 20, at 1:00 p.m. at Kraeer Funeral Home in Coral Springs, Florida. His family plans to lay him to rest at Bailey Memorial Gardens in North Lauderdale, the Sun Sentinel said.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.