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Friends petition for military funeral for Stoneman Douglas student hailed as hero

'I want people to know that he died a hero,' classmate says

PARKLAND, Fla. – Friends of a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student killed in Wednesday's mass shooting have started a petition for him to be buried with full military honors.

Witnesses said 15-year-old Peter Wang, a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, was shot and killed while ushering others to safety. Peter died in his JROTC uniform, witnesses said.

His friend filed the petition on the government's We the People site. If the petition receives more than 86,000 signatures, it will get a response from the White House. As of Sunday morning, the petition had more than 14,000 signatures.

“I want people to know that he died a hero, that he died saving many people,” said classmate and friend Aiden Ortiz.

Another classmate, Rachel Kuperman, said Peter was a selfless person. The last time Rachel saw Peter was on Tuesday at school -- a day before the massacre.

"I forgot my lunch that day and he went to the vending machine with me and he bought me Sprite and candy and snacks. He put others before himself," Rachel said.

Peter's family plans to hold a funeral service at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Kraeer Funeral Home, 655 N. University Drive in Coral Springs.


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