ChicanoBatman
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This awesome individual, Riley Howell, knocked down an active shooter in his anthropology class at University North Carolina in 2019. Although he was killed in the process, along with another student, he possibly saved more lives. He was in ROTC and wished to join the military after college.
I had forgotten about him this past year. I didn't know him. He was just a news blip that faded quickly as more world chaos took his place. Something about this picture made me want to always remember him. To remember his act and sacrifice and always honor that.
I looked him up and found out he was buried with full military honors and was awarded the Civilian Medal Of Honor, the highest medal awarded to non military.
I'm sorry I forgot about you for awhile Riley. Toast you tonight with a little mezcal and sincere thank you.
SimpleRick
UNC Charlotte to be correct, my alma mater.
TalkingBehindMyBackInFrontOfMyFace
Thank you for letting us know about Riley. Please come back and remind us again what a real hero acts like.
Lepercake
Revenge Of The Clones you say?
Flabbio
Riley Howell
VaultGirl69
We've tried nothing and nothing's changed. Just which ineffective changes to keep the status quo. Not raising kids here.
sourshampoo
They should enact gun control in his honour
giveittomestraightlikeapearcidermadefrom100percentpears
It's sad when people that save lives don't get as much credit/press as those that take them.
28dayslaterwasawarning
Good Guy Greg with hair
tcdriver
Thanks for reminding me there are actually Humans on this planet
bobcarr666
Valhalla awaits...
MarkiusFox
Unfortunately, no such award exists. What he received was the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Citizen Honors Award. 1/3
MarkiusFox
The Society is composed of living recipients of the CMoH, they review nominees for the Citizen Honors and award them each year. 2/3
MarkiusFox
The actual highest civilian awards from the US Gov't are: the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
MBdub210
*UNC Charlotte [There are 14 schools, I’m pretty sure, in the UNC system. He did not attend Chapel Hill, just to prevent confusion.]
malakim
We forget about things like that because its just so damn common in the US. Almost not a week goes by without a school shooting in the US.
Causeitsmadeofmeat
That's one of those helpers Mr. Rogers talked about
heiniPumpkinLord
Thanks for sharing his story OP. He was one of the good guys.
renegFitTraveler
May he rest in piece
newsguycraigevans
America has no real gun control to speak of. I know people pretend there is, but there's really none.
petey3185
Not true at all. Have you tried to buy a gun?
bigdukesix
Phew! For a second there I thought it was you-know-who
magneticmagic3
The ironic thing: the shooter was critical of gun culture up until about a year before the shooting and his primary motive was stress 1/2
magneticmagic3
related to student debt and a poorly managed social disorder in combination with autism. Progressive policies prevent gun violence in more
magneticmagic3
ways than just preventing gun ownership. What if this kid hadn't gone into debt to go to school/had free mental healthcare? It's shameful,
film888master9
Who downvotes this?
mustardburp
The same people who forgot about Dre.
wadatahmydamie
Ammosexuals
YourMotherApproves
4554073
Memory Eternal
donthideyourright2
They should build him a statue at that university. And tour every new student and explain what he did.
ChalkCoatedDonut
They won't do that. A reminder of school shootings as a common event as black fridays doesn't support their annual founding requests.
Quizz25S
And name a fucking building after him too. Make these kids go to class in Howell Hall. /salute
iwrotethisonthetoilet
They should vote… all of you should vote.
Solkanarmy
they should ban guns
currentlywithoutimagination
After generations, the statue with have some positive (hopefully) superstition, like rubbing his toe for luck like Yale kids do
DoDucHuy
Rubbing his dick to get some would be the most likely outcome; considering the huge size of his balls for what he did
Kehy
He looks like he'd approve of such noble ventures
blaghart
Put it in front of the law school in the university, maybe we'll get lawyers who recognize the important of gun regulations.
donthideyourright2
Lawyers are not the problem. Politicians are. We could have amended that amendment. But Reps use it for marketing
blaghart
Most politicians are lawyers. At least with respect to the ones in party leadership.
donthideyourright2
Being lawyers help them know the complicated intricacies of making laws. Is like blaming women for pregnancies
blaghart
lmao you're just stringing words together with no basis in their meaning or relationship.
SacrificialClam
And risk losing that sweet tuition money because who wants to go to a school with potential shooters?? I don't think so
highhiedyin
Well your user name definitely checks out.
Targe0
I mean isn't that all US schools? Hell isn't it just the US as a whole? They have had active shooters everywhere.
OverwhelmingSurplusOfDiggity
Well it’s an American school. Approximately 1 in 1000 schools have had a shooting.
asm80dfa8sdfj
What I hear is that there are 999 schools that might be safer, what allowed the shooting here? They don't have proper security or what?
OverwhelmingSurplusOfDiggity
They’re in America.
PoppinLochNessHopster
The only country with guns.
PoppinLochNessHopster
I'd see it as how many schools have had 2 active shooters, and the ones that have had 1 are statistically less likely to have 2.
PoppinLochNessHopster
Especially given how much they'd have ramped up security.
asm80dfa8sdfj
I don't understand why a civilian can't get honors as high as military personnel. If your act is good enough it shouldn't matter
notreallyhereatall
There are two separate sets of rules, but the delination is military service. A medal of honor is the the highest award from the U.S.
notreallyhereatall
To me there is no difference. Since most are awarded posthumously. Both stepped up and placed others before themselves.
poopingoravoidingeyecontact
Also because of his love for Star Wars they named him in a book… Jedi Master Ri-Lee Howell
Bacxaber
Jedi are child-abducting slavers though...I get the intent but they're kinda making him look worse by doing that.
Nippledeepinahorse
Found the imperial.
Bacxaber
No, fuck the empire too.
cocoagogo
tcdriver
Ikr
bendaresall
For real? That's awesome
smallfrie32
Ri-lee?*
AlcoholicsAnonymousBYO
https://time.com/5755064/riley-howell-shooting-hero-star-wars-jedi/
doctorbocker
Outstanding.
AsianLeprechaun
Neat
DarkSock
Meanwhile this NRA shit-pump is sipping champagne on yachts, flush with cash from NRA dues & Russian rubles:
Darkspire
Sounds like he wants someone to shoot him
DarkSock
Here he is hanging out with convicted Russian spy Maria Butina at an NRA conference:
wadatahmydamie
Oh yeah. Ammosexuals always pretend to celebrate heroes who stop mass shooters, but they’ll do everything they can to make sure more happen.
WPIII381
Highly inaccurate
wadatahmydamie
Y’all jumped the General Lee over the moral event horizon with Sandy Hook.
WPIII381
You're assuming I'm with the group you condemn.
wadatahmydamie
Not much of a distinction if you’re arguing on their behalf
ILikedTheirOldStuffBetter
Christ, I work with a moron who actually has money deducted from every paycheck to donate to the NRA. I shit you not.
MarkiusFox
Tell them, if they are serious about their 2A convictions, they should support the FPC instead of the NRA.
Euin
How about not giving guns to bad guys?
DarkSock
You mean like every other civilized country on the planet? Well, that’s just Crazy Talk!!!
ridureyu
They want students to die. Students often skew liberal, so killing them is an intentional move. y
tarvuz
What's the difference between a shooter and an active shooter?
DerekHand
I believe active shooter means they are still alive and onsite when the police arrive.
tarvuz
Ok but doesn't saying shooter imply that already?
TheEmeraldProphylactic
Let sleeping dogs and technical definitions lie
DerekHand
Some shooters are dead, often by their own hands when the police arrive, or they have left the site.
pravetz
Unpopular opinion: we shouldn’t have to sacrifice students every year just because some gun nuts want the right to have assault weapons
clubracer
Can you define an assault weapon? I'll wait.
asm80dfa8sdfj
Obviously it's not something we're stoked about
AimlessSavant
Legal or not violent people will obtain violent means. Most uses of a firearm for terror have been illegally borrowed or purchased.
Pence128
"... loaned or sold."
FTFY. Start prosecuting their accomplices.
AimlessSavant
Indeed. Though who is to blame when the gun is stolen? Example being teenagers stealing their father's gun. Which if they are
AimlessSavant
A responsible gun owner shouldn't even be possible with a gun safe. For sake of argument they aren't. Are they to blame?