--- description: UNC Charlotte student Riley Howell died a hero when he charged a gunman opening fire during a lecture. Now he's been made a Jedi Master title: UNC Charlotte Student Who Died Saving Classmates From Gunman Honored As Jedi Master in New 'Star Wars' Book image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ff092dccbe5585f/698a0804457a5218dbd63517/riley-howell-charlotte-student-shooting-hero.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Star Wars topic](/tag/star-wars/) ## Star Wars topic Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # UNC Charlotte Student Riley Howell, Who Died Saving Classmates From Gunman, Honored as Jedi Master in New _Star Wars_ Book ## Video: Officials: 2 Dead, 4 Injured in Shooting at University of North Carolina-Charlotte [Watch (HLS stream): Officials: 2 Dead, 4 Injured in Shooting at University of North Carolina-Charlotte](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Drof40dZ.m3u8) (1:18)  _Published 2019-05-01. Officials say that two people have been killed and four people injured in a shooting at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, according to the Associated Press._  by [Madeleine Carlisle](/author/madeleine-carlisle/)  ## Madeleine Carlisle Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:11 PM CUTPublished: Dec 24, 2019 4:55 PM CUT  Students lay candles and flowers at the steps of Kennedy Hall to honor the victims of a shooting at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina on May 1, 2019. Students lay candles and flowers at the steps of Kennedy Hall to honor the victims of a shooting at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina on May 1, 2019.Logan Cyrus—AFP/Getty Images  by [Madeleine Carlisle](/author/madeleine-carlisle/)  ## Madeleine Carlisle Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:11 PM CUTPublished: Dec 24, 2019 4:55 PM CUT UNC Charlotte student Riley Howell, 21, who died [during a shooting on UNCC’s campus on April 30th](https://time.com/5580787/university-of-north-carolina-charlotte-shooting/ "undefined"), has been officially enshrined as a hero by his favorite franchise: _Star Wars._  Riley Howell's brother, Teddy Howell, and girlfriend, Lauren Westmoreland, comfort each other after a memorial service f in Lake Junaluska, N.C., on May 5, 2019. Kathy Kmonicek—AP As the gunman opened fire, Howell charged at him, [and police said](https://time.com/5581397/riley-howell-unc-charlotte-shooting/ "undefined") his actions “absolutely” helped stopped the attacker from killing more people, and from the incident being classified as a [mass shooting](https://time.com/5646854/time-cover-enough-shootings/ "undefined"). “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](https://abcnews.go.com/US/family-slain-uncc-student-hero-surprised-charged-gunman/story?id=62821270 "undefined") included his younger brother Teddy saying, “He’s the only 21-year-old, who would willingly fight his lightsaber with me.” News of Howell’s fandom later reached Lucasfilm, the production company behind _Star Wars_. And Howell is now mentioned in the book _Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – The Visual Dictionary,_ which was released on Friday to accompany the premiere of the movie [_Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker_](https://time.com/5751746/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-review/ "undefined"). The book includes a brief passage on “Jedi Master and historian Ri-Lee Howell,” explaining that he “collected many of the earliest accounts of explorations and codifications of the Force” in the book the _Aionomica_. (The _Aionomica_ appears in the 2017 film _Star Wars: The Last Jedi.)_ The Jedi are the protagonists of the _Star Wars_ franchise, an order of heroes dedicated to the light side of the Force. Only the most powerful are called a “Master.” Lucasfilm did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment.  Students lay candles and flowers at the steps of Kennedy Hall to honor the victims of a shooting the day earlier at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 1, 2019. Logan Cyrus—AFP/Getty Images [_The Charlotte Observer_ reports](https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article238664223.html "undefined") 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.](https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article238664223.html "undefined") 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_.](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/24/shooting-victim-riley-howell-immortalized-jedi-star-wars-creator/2740443001/ "undefined") “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.”  Mourners sign "I love you" as the casket carrying UNC Charlotte student Riley Howell is taken to a waiting hearse from his celebration of life service on May 5, 2019 in Waynesville, North Carolina. Brian Blanco—Getty Images) Photos from the book were[ posted online](https://imgur.com/a/eLUEjxV "undefined") on Monday by the brother of Howell’s girlfriend, Lauren Westmoreland. (Similar details were also posted to the fan-edited _Star Wars_ wiki,[ Wookieepedia](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ri-Lee%5FHowell "undefined").) “\[H\]e would absolutely be over the moon that he is now a Jedi forever,” Westmoreland tells TIME in a text message. “And especially one that is a historian that preserves Jedi texts! That’s how he was with Star Wars, he was very detail oriented and could tell me every little thing\[.\]” “\[H\]e loved to draw the clone trooper helmets all the time, sometimes even on my birthday cards because I always liked to draw him things for his birthday,” Westmoreland continues. “He has little Star Wars figurines all over his room that he’s had since he was very little, and when I hiked on the \[Pacific Coast Trail\] for a month with \[Outward Bound\] after he was killed, I took his \[Obi-Wan\] figurine with me and took pictures of him in all the different places we stayed\[.\]” She adds that they were supposed to see the new Star Wars movie for their anniversary, and that “even though I didn’t get to see it with him, this happened for him instead and it has been truly truly incredible.” Westmoreland also posted about his inclusion in the book on Instagram and on TikTok on Monday. “Thank you for giving my love the best Christmas gift ever, and making him part of the _Star Wars_ universe forever,” she wrote in the post. --- > “@laaaaaaalalandbest news we’ve gotten all year!!! i’m so lucky to know a Jedi master 🧡#my2019 #fearless #domore #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #SpotifyWrapped #starwars♬ FOLLOW ME – egmacc” --- _The Observer_ reports that the Howell family went to see _The Rise of Skywalker_ last Thursday, saving an open seat in the theater for Howell. They also brought his ashes. “I think… he would have liked the way it ended,” his mother Natalie Henry-Howell told the newspaper. In the letter of Howell’s family, Seastrom wrote, “All of us here share our deepest condolences. The Force will be with Riley, and all of you, always…” As Westmoreland put it in her TikTok: “Long Live Ri-Lee.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5755064/riley-howell-shooting-hero-star-wars-jedi/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5755064/riley-howell-shooting-hero-star-wars-jedi/"},"headline":"UNC Charlotte Student Riley Howell, Who Died Saving Classmates From Gunman, Honored as Jedi Master in New Star Wars Book","datePublished":"2019-12-24T16:55:33.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T20:11:18.000Z","description":"Riley Howell died after charging a gunman during an April shooting on UNCC's campus","url":"https://time.com/5755064/riley-howell-shooting-hero-star-wars-jedi/","keywords":["Star Wars topic","North Carolina","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ff092dccbe5585f/698a0804457a5218dbd63517/riley-howell-charlotte-student-shooting-hero.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Madeleine Carlisle","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/madeleine-carlisle/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6ff092dccbe5585f/698a0804457a5218dbd63517/riley-howell-charlotte-student-shooting-hero.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TOPSHOT-US-CRIME-SHOOTING","caption":"TOPSHOT-US-CRIME-SHOOTING","creditText":"Logan Cyrus—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/star-wars/","name":"Star Wars topic"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5755064/riley-howell-shooting-hero-star-wars-jedi/","name":"UNC Charlotte Student Riley Howell, Who Died Saving Classmates From Gunman, Honored as Jedi Master in New Star Wars Book"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Officials: 2 Dead, 4 Injured in Shooting at University of North Carolina-Charlotte","description":"Officials say that two people have been killed and four people injured in a shooting at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, according to the Associated Press.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Drof40dZ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2019-05-01T00:32:56.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Drof40dZ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5755064/riley-howell-shooting-hero-star-wars-jedi/","duration":"PT1M18S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5755064/riley-howell-shooting-hero-star-wars-jedi/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```