Star Wars and REAL LIFE | The Riley Howell Story

Star Wars and REAL LIFE | The Riley Howell Story
#starwars

UNC Charlotte student Riley Howell, 21, who died during a shooting on UNCC’s campus on April 30th, has been officially enshrined as a hero by his favorite franchise: Star Wars.

As the gunman opened fire, Howell charged at him, and police said his actions “absolutely” helped stopped the attacker from killing more people, and from the incident being classified as a mass shooting. “He took the fight to the assailant. Unfortunately he had to give his life to do so, but he saved lives,” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney told reporters the following day.

Nineteen-year-old Ellis “Reed” Parlier was also killed, and four others were injured.

Media reports and obituary tributes after Howell’s death noted his love of Star Wars, such as ABC affiliate WLOS’s story that included his younger brother Teddy saying, “He’s the only 21-year-old, who would willingly fight his lightsaber with me.”

The Charlotte Observer reports that a Florida man with no connection to Howell wrote to Lucasfilms in May to tell them about Howell’s love of Star Wars and his act of bravery.

“I cannot think of a person more deserving to be canonized somewhere in the Star Wars universe. I know that we can’t name a major character after him, but even a very minor character in a single comic book, animated episode, or other medium would be a fitting tribute,” The Observer reports James Wes Carrens wrote.

Lucasfilms reportedly reached out later that month to Howell’s family in a letter.

“Riley’s courage and selflessness brings out the Jedi in us all,” wrote Lucas Seastrom of the Lucasfilm Fan Relations Team, according to the Asheville Citizen Times. “As a small tribute, our Story Group has incorporated a re-imagining of Riley’s name as a character in the Star Wars galaxy. We can’t reveal the specific details at this time, but the character’s name will appear in a forthcoming book publication later this year.”