A student who died protecting his classmates from a university shooter has been honoured as a Jedi

There is a new Jedi in the Star Wars universe: Ri-Lee Howell.

Riley Howell, 21, right was killed after he tackled a gunman who opened fire at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Source: Matthew Westmoreland, AP

A US student who died trying to protect his classmates during a gun attack at the University of North Carolina has been immortalised as "Ri-Lee Howell", the newest Jedi in the Star Wars universe.

Riley Howell, 21, was hailed a hero after tackling the gunman and preventing further casualties during the 30 April shooting, which also left fellow student, 19-year-old Ellis Parlier, dead.

The 21-year-old was known to be a big Star Wars fan and shortly after the attack, Lucasfilm - the production company behind Star Wars - wrote to the family to express their condolences, the Charlotte Observer reported.

"Riley's courage and selflessness brings out the Jedi in all of us," wrote fan relations team member Lucas Seastrom in May.

Riley Howell. Source: Matthew Westmoreland

“We hope that you may rejoice in his memory, and we join you in honouring his life and example.”

But the team has taken it a step further, including a reimagining of Mr Howell's name as part of their new book, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - The Visual Dictionary, released to coincide with the film of the same name. 

The book reportedly describes Jedi master and historian "Ri-Lee Howell" as responsible for gathering "many of the earliest accounts of exploration and codifications of The Force".

Speaking to the Charlotte Observer, Mr Howell's mother, Natalie Henry-Howell, said she cried when she heard the news.

“I like the way they actually left his last name. I think he would really be appreciative of that," she said.

"Because, you know, they could have just said Ri-Lee — Jedi Ri-Lee — and we’d be guessing the whole time about whether or not that was really [him], but they put his last name in there just to really honour him ... and that really made me cry when I heard about it.”

Following the attack, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney credited Mr Howell with taking the shooter "off his feet", which allowed him to be disarmed.

"Unfortunately, he gave his life in the process. But his sacrifice saved lives," he said.