Following the death of Shawnee Mission West High School junior Ashton Brunmeier from cancer on Sunday, Dec. 4, support for his family and friends overflowed on Twitter and Facebook. “#ATB,” Ashton Todd Brunmeier’s initials, trended on Twitter Wednesday evening, which meant it was in the top ten most discussed subjects on Twitter in the region.

“The hashtag really was a way to raise awareness,” junior Blake Miles said. “It’s to show how much he really meant to everybody.”

Miles met Brunmeier in daycare, they continued to stay friends for many years though they attended different schools. Before attending Mill Valley High School, junior Danielle Jenkins was a student at Shawnee Mission West and became friends with Brunmeier.

“It’s a way to remember. Just because he’s gone, doesn’t mean he’s out of our lives,” Jenkins said. “We’re offering respect to him and his family.”

From tweeting “#ATB” to making profile pictures a photo of Brunmeier, many students have showed their support.

“This really shows that we have a strong community,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to be there to help each other no matter what.”

Public figures such as Mac Miller and Tech N9ne have also tweeted about Brunmeier. Jenkins didn’t expect this to happen.

“It made me completely excited,” Jenkins said. “I was like ‘Oh, my god. Is this real?’”

Jenkins believes that Brunmeier won’t be forgotten.

“Just because we won’t be seeing [Brunmeier] everyday, doesn’t mean we won’t be thinking about him,” Jenkins said.