Community grieves Juniper Blessing, trans student with 'heart of gold' who loved meteorology and Pokemon

"Blessing, a major of the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science, was the "most amazing human being we have ever known," her family wrote in a statement. According to friends who have posted on social media, she enjoyed playing video games like Hollow Night, studying meteoreology, buying jewelry and perfume, and singing with a beautiful voice that can be heard in videos like this one of her belting "Wildflowers" by Tom Petty at her New Mexico high school."

""Juniper's loss not only devastates us but diminishes the world," her family wrote on Thursday. "Perhaps most importantly, Juniper was courageously living their life as who they were until it was cut tragically short. Blessed with many loving friends, family members and mentors, Juniper will be deeply missed.""

"When Blessing was fatally stabbed on Sunday night in the laundry room of the off-campus apartment building that houses hundreds of other University of Washington students, people across the country reeled. A trans college student had been killed so close to her campus in Seattle, a city in the progressive Pacific Northwest; a city that has seen such an influx of trans refugees from red states that it has considered declaring a " civil emergency " to ensure proper protections for those calling it their new home."

"A suspect, 31-year-old Christopher Michael Leahy has turned himself into police, where he awaits almost-certain arraignment on homicide charges. But as that legal process plays out, a community has been left in mourning. On Thursday night, local NBC affiliate KING 5 sent a reporter out to Red Square, the University of Washington's central plaza, where the outlet captured video of a vast and growing memorial"

Juniper Blessing, a 19-year-old trans student and atmospheric and climate science major at the University of Washington, was fatally stabbed on Sunday night in a laundry room of an off-campus apartment building near campus. Her name became public, and students and community members expressed grief. Friends described her interests, including video games, studying meteorology, buying jewelry and perfume, and singing. Her family said her loss devastated them and diminished the world, emphasizing that she lived courageously as who she was. A suspect, 31-year-old Christopher Michael Leahy, turned himself in and is awaiting arraignment on homicide charges. A memorial grew at Red Square, the university’s central plaza.

Read at Advocate.com