As the school year ramps up, Houston Independent School District’s students at Westside High School are honoring their late classmate David Castro, who died July 7 from gunshot wounds from a drive-by shooting as he was leaving a Houston Astros game.
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According to HISD, David was a senior on the Westside Wolf Band Drumline and drum captain of the entire percussion section. He is described by friends and family as motivated, focused, responsible, prepared, and most importantly, kind.
On Tuesday, Wolf bandmates along with classmates and family members gathered for a ceremony around a Magnolia tree planted in David’s honor.
According to HISD, the tree represented more than just life, but optimism on the second day of school, as Paul Castro, David’s father, started the #RAKDavid (Random Act of Kindness) movement.
“Random acts of kindness are things that all people can do to put goodness back into the world,” Paul Castro said, according to HISD. “I think in a time where we are at now where there is so many unknowns with COVID and everything, people want to feel a sense of control and ownership over their lives, and one of the best things to do is to go out and do something good for the community, for yourself, for someone else, and in doing that you can make the world a better place.”
According to HISD, the celebration of David’s life held additional meaning to his family, as his father was formerly a principal of Westside High School, and the tree connects the Castro family to the community once again.
“Our family has roots in this school,” Paul Castro said. “And now, it literally has roots in this school.”