New highway signs honor Colorado student killed while protecting classmates in 2019 school shooting

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (KRDO) – The next time you drive on C-470, you might notice some changes to the highway's overhead signs – this week, they're being replaced to reflect the new name of what was formerly Lucent Boulevard: Kendrick Castillo Way.

The name honors Kendrick Castillo, who was only 18 when he was killed in a shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch on May 7, 2019. Classmates say he risked his life to save theirs when he lunged at one of the gunmen, subduing him and giving other students a chance to escape the room.

Kendrick was just weeks away from graduating at the time of the shooting. He was the only fatality.

READ MORE: Remembering Kendrick Castillo on the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting anniversary

Now, Kendrick's name will be a permanent fixture in Highlands Ranch with the renaming of Lucent Boulevard, located between County Line Road and South Broadway.

The changing road name is part of an ongoing mission by his family, alongside Douglas County officials, to ensure his legacy lives on.

In December 2024, Kendrick’s parents, John and Maria Castillo, led a formal road renaming ceremony, surrounded by family and friends, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners, Gov. Jared Polis, and other state and local representatives.

“Kendrick was a vibrant and caring young man. He had friends everywhere and deeply cared about his community and people he never met,” John Castillo said. “It’s about honoring. It’s about remembering. Kendrick loved people so much, in a split second, he did what he had to do to save lives.”

The Kendrick Castillo Memorial Oversight Committee requested the name change, which was approved by county commissioners earlier in 2024.

“I believed it was very important for our community to turn tragedy into triumph and elevate the name of one of our greatest heroes, Kendrick Castillo, as a beacon of courage and heroism to all who come to Douglas County,” Commissioner Abe Laydon said. “Kendrick Castillo Way is more than a street sign; it is a way of life. Running into the danger and the unknown to save others, sacrificing your life to save someone else – that’s the highest expression of who we can be as humans and as Coloradans.”