R.I.P.
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNCC) student and ROTC Cadet Riley Howell will be buried with full military honors.
According to Wells Funeral Homes, the memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, in the Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska. The family will receive friends from 5 until 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2019 in the Wells Events & Reception Center.
Officials at the funeral home confirmed to WBTV on Friday that Howell will be buried with full military honors, but they did not give further details.
A petition was filed Wednesday asking the White House to give Howell a military funeral. As of 6:30 p.m. Friday, the petition had just nearly 25,000 signatures, with a goal of 100,000.
Howell died a hero one day before the petition was filed when he tackled a gunman who had opened fire in a classroom on the UNCC campus. Police say the 21-year-old’s actions delayed the shooter, giving police more time to respond and fellow students a chance to escape.