Grief has settled heavily over Minneapolis as a devastated family confirmed that their 10-year-old daughter, Harper Moyski, was among the students killed in the tragic mass shooting at a Catholic church this week. On Thursday, through tears and trembling voices, her parents shared the news no family should ever have to deliver — remembering their little girl not for the violence that took her, but for the light she brought into every room.
“Harper was deeply loved,” her parents said in a statement. “She was bright, joyful, and full of kindness.” Those who knew her describe a child with an infectious laugh, a love of reading and art, and a heart that seemed bigger than her small frame. Teachers recall her curiosity and eagerness to help classmates. Friends remember her boundless energy on the playground.
What was meant to be an ordinary day of faith and learning at the church-affiliated school instead became a scene of chaos and heartbreak. Authorities responded swiftly to reports of gunfire, securing the area and transporting victims to nearby hospitals. Despite emergency efforts, two students lost their lives — Harper now publicly identified as the second young victim.
Outside the church, flowers, stuffed animals, and handwritten notes have begun to gather along the sidewalk. Community members have held vigils, lighting candles and standing in silence beneath a sky that feels impossibly heavy. Parents clutch their children a little tighter. Classmates struggle to comprehend the sudden absence of a friend whose desk will now sit empty.
Local leaders have expressed condolences while urging unity and support for the families affected. Counselors have been made available to students and parish members as they process the trauma of what unfolded within a place meant to symbolize safety and sanctuary.
For Harper’s parents, the focus remains on honoring who she was beyond the headlines. They spoke of her love for animals, her excitement about an upcoming school project, and the way she would hum softly while doing homework. “She had so much life ahead of her,” they said. “She deserved to grow up.”
As investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, the community’s attention is fixed on remembrance rather than speculation. In the face of unspeakable loss, Minneapolis mourns not just a statistic, but a child — a daughter, a classmate, a young girl whose joy once filled the halls of her school.
And in the quiet that follows tragedy, her name is being spoken with tenderness — a reminder that behind every breaking news alert is a life that mattered deeply.