06/29/2026
May the force be with you.
Riley Howell gave his life saving his classmates. Now, he'll live forever in the Star Wars galaxy.
In 2019, 21-year-old UNC Charlotte student Riley Howell charged an active sh**ter to protect his classmates, sacrificing his own life while helping stop the attack. Police said his actions undoubtedly saved additional lives.
Riley had been a lifelong Star Wars fan, and his extraordinary courage touched people around the world. After learning his story, Lucasfilm honored him in a deeply personal way by creating Jedi Master Ri-Lee Howell, a historian in the official Star Wars canon featured in The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary.
In a letter to Riley's family, Lucasfilm wrote that "Riley's courage and selflessness brings out the Jedi in all of us," adding that
"The Force will be with Riley... always."
It's a tribute that feels incredibly fitting.
A real-life hero who embodied everything the Jedi stand for.
Now, every time someone opens that chapter of Star Wars history, Riley Howell's legacy lives on in a galaxy far, far away.
