mobanmarketHIGHLANDS RANCH, CO – Kendrick Ray Castillo had only three days of school left before graduation when his life was cut short Tuesday as two classmates at their Highlands Ranch charter school opened fire. Eight others were injured, but the toll might have been higher if not for one final act bravery by the 18-year-old who planned to become an engineer.
He lunged at one of the shooters, both of whom are in custody and made initial court appearances Wednesday. His father, John Castillo, said he’s not surprised his son put the lives of classmates above his own.
That’s the kind of person he was — a great kid with a great, big heart, his parents and friends said.
“[Kendrick] cared enough about people that he would do something like that, even though it’s against my better judgment,” the teen’s father told the Denver Post. “I wish he had gone and hid, but that’s not his character. His character is about protecting people, helping people.”
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The teen’s classmates heaped praise and gratitude on him as they mourned his death.
Senior Nui Giasolli, told NBC News that Castillo was shot point-blank after he lunged at the shooter and tried to stop him from harming other students. The student entered the ninth-period English class late, then opened and shut another door in the classroom.
“The next thing I know he’s pulling a gun and he’s telling nobody to move,” Giasolli said. “That’s when Kendrick lunged at him, and he shot Kendrick, giving all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe and to run out.”
Cecilia Bedard, 19, who has known Castillo since he was in elementary school, told USA Today he was friendly and modest.”He was amazing,” Bedard said. “He was honestly the sweetest kid I ever met. Never said a mean joke.”
Sara Stacks, 17, told The New York Times she had known Castillo since childhood, when he was her best friend.
“He cared about his faith and his family and friends more than himself or anything,” she said. “He was always the first to help when anyone needed it; if it was a friend to talk to, someone to hold the door, or carry something, he would always help no matter what.”
Aiden Beatty, 18, a former classmate at STEM School, told The Times Castillo was “one of the nicest people at the school.”
“He was always smiling,” Beatty said. “I would always see him around the engineering area with those teachers, working on stuff, building.”
Tributes to the slain student poured in on Twitter.
Castillo’s passion was robotics and he had been a four-year member of Highlands Ranch robotics club, FRC 4418 Impulse. He planned to attend Arapahoe Community College and study mechanical or electrical engineering, John Castillo told the Denver Post.
Castillo, described as bright and funny, earned several technology internships, including one at the manufacturing business Bacara USA. He did so well that the company gave him a part-time job.
“To find he went down as a hero, I’m not surprised,” Rachel Short, the company’s CEO, told USA Today. “That’s exactly who Kendrick was.”
In a window into the potential that was lost with Castillo’s death, the Highlands Ranch Herald, the local paper, wrote in 2017 about Castillo’s internship at age 16 at local company Panther Industries, where his mentor praised him for his skills in computer-aided design and production.
“[Castillo] gets an idea of what it takes to go from a pile of parts to a machine,” said Engineer Ryan Kirkland.
Castillo’s robotics colleagues mourned his death as well.
“We’re heartbroken by the death of Kendrick Castillo, a victim of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting,” tweeted FIRST, a youth non-profit that advances STEM education. “Kendrick was a member of @Frc4418, of which his father is Lead Mentor. Our hearts go out to Kendrick’s family, friends, & all affected by the shooting.”
His robotics club plans a vigil Wednesday evening.
The teen also loved fishing and cars. He was an only child.
“My wife and I are in a haze,” John Castillo said. “He was everything to us.”
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