Kaiden Vague

“[He] lived his life to the fullest,” said Gwen Stephens, his behavioral therapist.

A sophomore at Dos Pueblos High School, he worked with his family’s nonprofit Softin Inc., offering seafaring opportunities for people in need. Full of humor, adventure and kind-heartedness, he saw his autism as a chance to raise awareness for the disabled community.

But on Feb. 15, he suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound at the Glass Factory shooting range in Santa Barbara, California. Kaiden Vague died the next day, Feb. 16, 2018. It was his 16th birthday.