The funeral for a 15-year-old heroic student who lost his life in the Florida school shooting was held Tuesday.
Peter Wang, who dreamed of attending the United States Military Academy at West Point, was buried Tuesday morning with hundreds of teachers, students, family members, and uniformed members of the Florida National Guard in attendance, the Daily Mail reports. Wang, a JROTC Cadet, was buried in his uniform, his casket draped with an American flag.
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“I watched you walking to school on Feb. 14. Now my body is bleeding in unbearable pain. Baby, am I in a nightmare? This is unbearable. Baby, hold my hand, reach me. Baby, I’m stuck in this nightmare. Lead the way out,” Wang’s mother, Hui Wang, said at his funeral.
The JROCT Cadet has been hailed a hero. An online petition says he was last seen “in uniform, holding doors open and thus allowing other students, teachers, and staff to flee to safety. 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.”
The 15-year-old, along with two other JROTC Cadets killed in the shooting, was awarded the Army Medal of Heroism, the highest honor given to Junior Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott directed the Florida National Guard to honor Wang and two other cadets — Martin Duque and Alaina Petty, both 14 — killed during the shooting at their funerals.
The United States Military Academy at West Point, where Wang planned to attend after high school, also honored the student by posthumorously admitting him to the academy’s class of 2025.
One of USMA’s priorities is to develop leaders of character who are committed to the values of Duty, Honor & Country. Peter Wang’s actions on February 14 are an example of those principles & the academy honors his dream of being a West Point cadet with a 2025 letter of acceptance pic.twitter.com/fycvJBhte8
— US Military Academy (@WestPoint_USMA) February 20, 2018
The funerals for Carmen Schentrup, 16, Cara Loughran, 14, and Gina Montalto, 14, were also held Tuesday.
Funeral services for the 17 victims, including 14 students and three teachers, began on Friday, just two days after the shooting. Thousands of students, teachers, and family members have attended the services to pay their respects.
