Dozens of students and faculty at Thornwood High School held a vigil Wednesday night to pay tribute to a security guard who died while breaking up a fight at the school last week.
Richard Cowser, 54, fell or was pushed against a locker while breaking up the fight between two senior girls, and went into cardiac arrest.
The school community is sickened by the senseless circumstances surrounding the death of a man students affectionately called "Hulk Cowser," and vowed to learn from it.
"We must learn to think through issues and not just react to them. This is about choices and consequences," said Kenneth Williams, the president of the Board of Education.
"We must never forget there are ways to respond to conflict that must not end in violence," principal Dennis Willis said.
The vigil was held just hours after Cowser's wake. Autopsy results were inconclusive.
Cowser was a graduate of Thornwood High School.
