New memorial honors Kendrick Castillo, Colorado student who helped stop Highlands Ranch school shooting

A new memorial in Colorado now honors a high school senior who was killed saving his classmates during a school shooting in 2019. The memorial for Kendrick Castillo outside STEM School Highlands Ranch has been more than a year in the making.

With an almost immediate response to bring this memorial to life, the $30,000 fundraising goal was reached within just a few days -- and donations continued to pour in to honor Castillo. Family, friends, and community members gathered Friday morning at Civic Green Park in Highlands Ranch for the unveiling. It honors a young man whose bravery has inspired so many.

In 2019, Castillo lunged at a student who pulled out a gun, sacrificing his life to protect his classmates at the school. His courage has since become a catalyst for change.

"I couldn't be there May 7 to be the shield, and that's something I live with," his father, John Castillo, said. "The other things -- loving God, raising virtuous kids, and loving your family -- those are messages I like to share for other people. Be there, step up, and maybe these things wouldn't happen. Maybe we wouldn't have domestic terror or school shootings if we could just show love."

The memorial is now open to the public. It joins other tributes to Castillo, including Kendrick Castillo Way, which runs from South Broadway to County Line Road in Douglas County.