In loving memory

In Loving Memory of Jake Longman and Dylan Harrison: Two Young Lives Tragically Lost in Minneapolis

With broken hearts and profound sorrow, we remember the precious lives of Jake Longman and Dylan Harrison, two young souls whose bright futures were tragically taken in an act of heartbreaking violence in Minneapolis.

On Irving Avenue North, in the 42xx block, what should have been an ordinary afternoon became the scene of unimaginable loss. At approximately 3:30 p.m., authorities responded after a caller returned home and made a devastating discovery — two children inside a residence, both suffering from gunshot wounds. In a single moment, the rhythm of a neighborhood was shattered, and two families were forever changed.

Jake, just 14 years old, stood at the doorway of becoming the man he was meant to be. Fourteen is an age of becoming — of discovering passions, forming lifelong friendships, and dreaming boldly about the future. Whether he loved sports, music, gaming, or simply laughing with friends, he carried within him a world of possibility. His life, though brief, was filled with moments that mattered — inside jokes shared in hallways, quiet acts of kindness, and the unmistakable spark of youth that can light up a room.

Dylan, only 12, was still in the tender years of childhood — an age of curiosity and boundless imagination. Twelve-year-olds see the world not for its dangers, but for its wonders. They build dreams without limits. They believe in tomorrow without hesitation. Dylan’s laughter, his questions, his energy — these are the echoes that will remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. He was someone’s baby, someone’s best friend, someone’s whole world.

No words can adequately capture the depth of grief felt by their families. Parents are never meant to outlive their children. Siblings are not meant to grow up carrying memories instead of shared milestones. Friends are not meant to say goodbye before life has truly begun. The pain ripples outward — through classrooms, through neighborhoods, through an entire community struggling to comprehend why.

In moments like these, we are reminded how fragile life is, how precious each ordinary afternoon truly becomes in hindsight. The 3:30 p.m. hour that day will forever mark a dividing line — a before and an after. Before, there were plans, routines, laughter. After, there was silence, sirens, and sorrow.

Yet even in the shadow of such tragedy, we choose to remember Jake and Dylan not for how their lives ended, but for how they lived. We remember their smiles. We remember their energy. We remember the potential that radiated from them. We remember the love they gave and received.

Their names deserve to be spoken with tenderness. Their stories deserve to be honored with dignity. Their memory deserves more than headlines — it deserves compassion, reflection, and a renewed commitment to protecting the innocence of childhood.

As the community mourns, may we hold their families in our hearts. May we offer patience, support, and understanding in the days, months, and years ahead. Grief does not follow a timetable, and healing is not linear. But love — love endures.

Jake Longman and Dylan Harrison will never be forgotten. Their light, though extinguished far too soon, continues to shine in the lives they touched. In every act of kindness inspired by their memory, in every effort to build safer neighborhoods, in every prayer whispered in their names — they live on.

May they rest in peace. May their families find comfort in the love that surrounds them. And may we, as a community, honor their memory by choosing compassion over violence, unity over division, and hope over despair.