As North Atlanta students were taking a breath of fresh air to start their summer break last year, a controversial and unprecedented situation occurred at the Cincinnati Zoo: the death of Harambe.

It was May 28 when a three-year old child begged his mother to allow him to go into the gorilla enclosure at the zoo. After telling him that he couldn’t, his mother turned away for just a moment. In this quick minute, the child managed to climb the three-foot fence and fall into the enclosure.

After the child started wading around in the water, the 440-pound silverback investigated what was happening. He was surprised, we can surmise, to see a shocked and potentially hurt 35-pound human being in his habitat.

As shocked onlookers witnessed, Harambe took the child in his hairy hands and pulled him around in his man-made zoo terrain. After enduring 10 minutes of screams of concern from onlookers, Harambe puffed his chest up and walked big and tall like the strutting ape he was. This agitated behavior alarmed rifle-bearing zookeepers who made the decision to shoot and kill the gorilla in order to ensure the child was not harmed. Harambe died with the unharmed three-year-old on his lap.

Nearly three months after this incident, some North Atlanta students have kept the spirit of Harambe in their hearts. Junior Orion Sun is among many keeping up with his legacy. “I know that people have made a joke out of him, but to me, it’s just a reminder to continue to value the lives of animals,” he said.

Despite Sun’s reverence for the fallen creature, some adults and teen have made light of Harambe’s passing. Since his death, thousands of Internet memes have appeared about the gorilla. Online retailers have gotten into the act and sites like Amazon and Teespring have been selling t-shirts trumpeting messages like “Harambe for President!” And here in the hallways of North Atlanta, there have been students brandishing such sarcastic t-shirts.

Some think his death directly stemmed from maternal negligence and others feel his death was a necessary precaution. No matter which side you’re on, the whole Harambe incident has certainly opened up the debate about the value of animals and human life alike.