Juniper Blessing was killed at off-campus student apartments on Sunday. The UW student’s family says the loss “not only devastates us but diminishes the world.”

SEATTLE — The family of a 19-year-old University of Washington student who was stabbed to death on May 10 says they are “shattered” by the violent incident.

Juniper C. Blessing, identified by officials as a transgender woman, was killed inside a laundry room of an off-campus student housing complex just after 10 p.m. on Sunday.

“Our family has been shattered by the loss of our child, Juniper Blessing, to an act of unspeakable violence near the University of Washington campus in Seattle,” the family’s statement read. “Juniper was simply the most amazing human being we have ever known – highly intelligent, extremely talented, and deeply sensitive to the needs of others. Juniper’s loss not only devastates us but diminishes the world.”

Family members referred to Blessing as a “gifted singer with a transcendent voice” and said Blessing studied at the New Mexico School for the Arts from 2020 to 2024.

Blessing’s love for the weather and meteorology then brought her to Seattle, attending the University of Washington to study atmospheric sciences, minoring in music and philosophy, according to the family.

“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,” the family said in a statement.

The Human Rights Alliance of Santa Fe also asked for the family’s privacy to be honored amid “a state of profound shock and heartbreak, processing an unimaginable loss. This loss has devastated not only those closest to their child but also many others throughout the Seattle, Santa Fe, and LGBTQIA2S communities who are mourning as well.”

On the night of the killing, the suspect fled the scene at the Nordheim Court Apartments and remained on the run for several days. Police released clear images of the suspect amid their search, which led the 31-year-old suspect to turn himself in to Bellevue police on Wednesday night.

He appeared in court on Thursday and prosecutors have until Monday, May 18, to file formal charges. KING 5 does not typically name suspects until they are charged. 

The suspect remains in jail on bail of $10 million.