Kendrick Ray Castillo

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Kendrick Ray Castillo

Birth
City and County of Denver, Colorado, USA
Death
7 May 2019 (aged 18)
Highlands Ranch, Douglas County, Colorado, USA
Burial
Littleton, Douglas County, Colorado, USA GPS-Latitude: 39.5021, Longitude: -105.0757778
Memorial ID
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Kendrick Ray Castillo, an 18-year-old student at STEM High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, a K-12 school specializing in math and science, sacrificed his life on May 7 while rushing a gunman who was attempting to commit mass murder at the school. Kendrick's last day of school would have been Friday, May 9.

When a student armed with a rifle entered Kendrick’s British Literature class, Kendrick, about a foot away from the shooter, immediately sprang into action, leaped from his seat, and pinned the gunman against the wall. Two other students also tackled the gunman and tried to subdue him while the rest of the class fled the room, but before the other students could disarm the gunman, Kendrick was fatally shot in the chest.

Kendrick was an only child, but his friends, including the members of the school’s robotics team, were like his siblings, his father John Castillo said. Kendrick grew up speaking English and Spanish in suburban Denver and first attended Notre Dame Catholic School. He spent time fishing and camping with his late grandfather, who had been in the Marines. “Kendrick was proud of him, proud that his grandfather was a hero,” Kendrick's father said. “Kendrick wanted to live that legacy.” The teenager kept the flag that once draped his grandfather’s casket close to him and would pray and kiss his tombstone at Fort Logan National Cemetery. “He loved patriotism. We are Hispanic, but we love America to the core.”

Castillo said that he had talked with Kendrick about what to do in a school shooting, advising him "You don't have to be the hero," but his son, rejected that advice, telling his dad he wouldn't think twice about acting to save others. "You raised me this way. You raised me to be a good person. That’s what I’m doing,"

“He cared enough about people that he would do something like that, even though it’s against my better judgment,'' Castillo said. “I wish he had gone and hid, but that’s not his character. His character is about protecting people, helping people.”

Kendrick was a 4-year member and lead fabricator of a Highlands Ranch robotics club called FRC 4418 Impulse, of which his father is Lead Mentor. He was described as someone who was funny, smart, and captivated by robotics. He had worked in various mechanical engineering internships through the school and was planning to attend Arapahoe Community College to study mechanical or electrical engineering. Bacara USA, a manufacturing business where Castillo began an internship last year, gave him a part-time job because he performed so well.

Nearly 2,000 people turned out Wednesday, May 15, for a memorial service at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch to honor Kendrick. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, with a procession of 30 motorcycle officers, led the caravan to the service, followed by more than 600 Jeeps. Kendrick was a Jeep and off-road-vehicle enthusiast. Jeeps came from outside the metro area, with some having Arizona, Wyoming, and Utah license plates, to honor Kendrick. Castillo was passionate about his green Jeep Cherokee and enjoyed working on cars. An honor guard of robots from various Colorado robotics teams lined the walkway into the church.

Kendrick's casket was draped with yellow and blue flowers that represented the colors of his school, and the stage of the church where the service was held was adorned with symbols of his passion for science, the outdoors, and his faith. Many from his robotics club attended the service and brought robots to display in his memory. A local hotel provided the reception.

On Friday, May 17, more than 80 Knights of Columbus, decorated in red, purple, and green regalia, gathered in front of St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton. The Knights traveled from across Colorado to honor Kendrick and attend his funeral. Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez spoke of faith and hope to the congregation.

Following the funeral Mass, about 400 people attended Kendrick's burial. The crowd included his classmates. The procession to the cemetery near the foothills south of Denver included Castillo's beloved Jeep. His casket was led in by a bagpiper. The cemetery and botanic garden is near Chatfield State Park, about eight miles south of the church. The mountains, a place where Castillo loved to fish and hunt, stood tall in the background.

The Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 6, 2019, unanimously granted Kendrick full membership in the organization, to a standing ovation. Later that evening they presented his parents, John and Maria Castillo, the Caritas Medal, which was created in 2013 to recognize extraordinary acts of charity and service.

Kendrick wanted to be a Knight and planned on joining after graduation. His father, John, is a member of Council 4844 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Southwest Denver. He and Kendrick combined for 2,600 hours of volunteer service with the organization. Kendrick frequently joined his father at Knights of Columbus fundraisers and bingo nights. The Knights of Columbus helped pay for funeral expenses, food, and burial logistics. They also provided manpower for the services.

John Castillo recounted how Kendrick served funeral Masses, assisted as an usher at church, assisted the elderly at Mass, and supported friends through their struggles with school or family life. He would host holiday gift exchanges at his home, share his toys as a child, and pay for friends' movie tickets if someone didn’t have money. “It doesn’t surprise us that Kendrick would do what he did. He was a selfless individual who cared about other people. He was raised that way,” Castillo said, also crediting local members of the Knights of Columbus for Kendrick’s formation.

John reminisced about the lessons he taught his son on faith, self-sacrifice, and charity as well as teaching him about real heroes like the saints. Kendrick was particularly fond of St. John Bosco. He “ran with” those lessons — praying before meals in public, serving with the Knights of Columbus, and reaching out to those in need. Kendrick taught his dad also. "He reminded me to pray often. Like, ‘Dad, do you want to pray the rosary?’ And I would pray.”

John and Maria sit in front of Kendrick’s grave every afternoon. The couple has not missed a day visiting Kendrick since his death. The only exceptions were a couple out-of-state trips for speaking engagements. For those, Maria packed pictures of Kendrick to take along. It didn't take the Castillos long to find the perfect spot for Kendrick — right next to a trio of columns made of Colorado basalt. The memorial reminded John and Maria of their family of three.

During a memorial service on the one-year anniversary, several family friends, state officials, a priest, and bagpipers were invited to pray and reflect on Kendrick’s sacrifice.

Information mainly from
Catholic News Agency, August 7, 2019;
and the Knights of Columbus website.
Other sources:
CNN.com, May 8, 2019
USAToday.com, May 8, 2019
NBCNews.com, May 8, 2019
CanonCityDailyRecord.com, May 8, 2019
KDVR.com, May 12, 2019
CBSNews.com, May 15, 2019
Patch.com, May 15, 2019
DenverCBSLocal.com, May 15, 2019
CastleRockNewsPress.net, May 15, 2019
Newsweek.com, May 15, 2019
LoneTreeVoice.net, May 15, 2019
Coloradoan.com, May 15, 2019
ColoradoCommunityMedia.com, May 17, 2019
TheDenverChannel.com, May 17, 2019
HighlandsRanchHerald.net, May 6, 2020
KofC.org, June 19, 2020
Compiled by Angela, Member #48520699.
Kendrick Ray Castillo, an 18-year-old student at STEM High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, a K-12 school specializing in math and science, sacrificed his life on May 7 while rushing a gunman who was attempting to commit mass murder at the school. Kendrick's last day of school would have been Friday, May 9.

When a student armed with a rifle entered Kendrick’s British Literature class, Kendrick, about a foot away from the shooter, immediately sprang into action, leaped from his seat, and pinned the gunman against the wall. Two other students also tackled the gunman and tried to subdue him while the rest of the class fled the room, but before the other students could disarm the gunman, Kendrick was fatally shot in the chest.

Kendrick was an only child, but his friends, including the members of the school’s robotics team, were like his siblings, his father John Castillo said. Kendrick grew up speaking English and Spanish in suburban Denver and first attended Notre Dame Catholic School. He spent time fishing and camping with his late grandfather, who had been in the Marines. “Kendrick was proud of him, proud that his grandfather was a hero,” Kendrick's father said. “Kendrick wanted to live that legacy.” The teenager kept the flag that once draped his grandfather’s casket close to him and would pray and kiss his tombstone at Fort Logan National Cemetery. “He loved patriotism. We are Hispanic, but we love America to the core.”

Castillo said that he had talked with Kendrick about what to do in a school shooting, advising him "You don't have to be the hero," but his son, rejected that advice, telling his dad he wouldn't think twice about acting to save others. "You raised me this way. You raised me to be a good person. That’s what I’m doing,"

“He cared enough about people that he would do something like that, even though it’s against my better judgment,'' Castillo said. “I wish he had gone and hid, but that’s not his character. His character is about protecting people, helping people.”

Kendrick was a 4-year member and lead fabricator of a Highlands Ranch robotics club called FRC 4418 Impulse, of which his father is Lead Mentor. He was described as someone who was funny, smart, and captivated by robotics. He had worked in various mechanical engineering internships through the school and was planning to attend Arapahoe Community College to study mechanical or electrical engineering. Bacara USA, a manufacturing business where Castillo began an internship last year, gave him a part-time job because he performed so well.

Nearly 2,000 people turned out Wednesday, May 15, for a memorial service at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch to honor Kendrick. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, with a procession of 30 motorcycle officers, led the caravan to the service, followed by more than 600 Jeeps. Kendrick was a Jeep and off-road-vehicle enthusiast. Jeeps came from outside the metro area, with some having Arizona, Wyoming, and Utah license plates, to honor Kendrick. Castillo was passionate about his green Jeep Cherokee and enjoyed working on cars. An honor guard of robots from various Colorado robotics teams lined the walkway into the church.

Kendrick's casket was draped with yellow and blue flowers that represented the colors of his school, and the stage of the church where the service was held was adorned with symbols of his passion for science, the outdoors, and his faith. Many from his robotics club attended the service and brought robots to display in his memory. A local hotel provided the reception.

On Friday, May 17, more than 80 Knights of Columbus, decorated in red, purple, and green regalia, gathered in front of St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton. The Knights traveled from across Colorado to honor Kendrick and attend his funeral. Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez spoke of faith and hope to the congregation.

Following the funeral Mass, about 400 people attended Kendrick's burial. The crowd included his classmates. The procession to the cemetery near the foothills south of Denver included Castillo's beloved Jeep. His casket was led in by a bagpiper. The cemetery and botanic garden is near Chatfield State Park, about eight miles south of the church. The mountains, a place where Castillo loved to fish and hunt, stood tall in the background.

The Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 6, 2019, unanimously granted Kendrick full membership in the organization, to a standing ovation. Later that evening they presented his parents, John and Maria Castillo, the Caritas Medal, which was created in 2013 to recognize extraordinary acts of charity and service.

Kendrick wanted to be a Knight and planned on joining after graduation. His father, John, is a member of Council 4844 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Southwest Denver. He and Kendrick combined for 2,600 hours of volunteer service with the organization. Kendrick frequently joined his father at Knights of Columbus fundraisers and bingo nights. The Knights of Columbus helped pay for funeral expenses, food, and burial logistics. They also provided manpower for the services.

John Castillo recounted how Kendrick served funeral Masses, assisted as an usher at church, assisted the elderly at Mass, and supported friends through their struggles with school or family life. He would host holiday gift exchanges at his home, share his toys as a child, and pay for friends' movie tickets if someone didn’t have money. “It doesn’t surprise us that Kendrick would do what he did. He was a selfless individual who cared about other people. He was raised that way,” Castillo said, also crediting local members of the Knights of Columbus for Kendrick’s formation.

John reminisced about the lessons he taught his son on faith, self-sacrifice, and charity as well as teaching him about real heroes like the saints. Kendrick was particularly fond of St. John Bosco. He “ran with” those lessons — praying before meals in public, serving with the Knights of Columbus, and reaching out to those in need. Kendrick taught his dad also. "He reminded me to pray often. Like, ‘Dad, do you want to pray the rosary?’ And I would pray.”

John and Maria sit in front of Kendrick’s grave every afternoon. The couple has not missed a day visiting Kendrick since his death. The only exceptions were a couple out-of-state trips for speaking engagements. For those, Maria packed pictures of Kendrick to take along. It didn't take the Castillos long to find the perfect spot for Kendrick — right next to a trio of columns made of Colorado basalt. The memorial reminded John and Maria of their family of three.

During a memorial service on the one-year anniversary, several family friends, state officials, a priest, and bagpipers were invited to pray and reflect on Kendrick’s sacrifice.

Information mainly from
Catholic News Agency, August 7, 2019;
and the Knights of Columbus website.
Other sources:
CNN.com, May 8, 2019
USAToday.com, May 8, 2019
NBCNews.com, May 8, 2019
CanonCityDailyRecord.com, May 8, 2019
KDVR.com, May 12, 2019
CBSNews.com, May 15, 2019
Patch.com, May 15, 2019
DenverCBSLocal.com, May 15, 2019
CastleRockNewsPress.net, May 15, 2019
Newsweek.com, May 15, 2019
LoneTreeVoice.net, May 15, 2019
Coloradoan.com, May 15, 2019
ColoradoCommunityMedia.com, May 17, 2019
TheDenverChannel.com, May 17, 2019
HighlandsRanchHerald.net, May 6, 2020
KofC.org, June 19, 2020
Compiled by Angela, Member #48520699.

Inscription

Greater Love hath no
man than this, that a
man lay down his life
for his friends.
John 15:13