Family of slain 8th grader want root causes of gun violence addressed
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Monica Joy Holley, 14, died in a shooting in St. Paul last week. Three other teenagers were hurt.
"She loved. Monica Joy loved. More than anything, Monica Joy loved her people," said Shelby Joy Adams, Holley's aunt.
While the world moves on around them, time has seemingly stopped for Holley's family.
Adams said she remembers Holley as the lively, energetic 8th grader who loved to dance, who loved theater and who was wise beyond her years.
"It's really important to me that Monica Joy is remembered for how spirited she was and how precocious she was. She really understood people and really cared very deeply for people," said Adams.
Family is beyond grateful for the support they've received from the community. The GoFundMe for funeral expenses, that Adams started, has raised more than $20,000 in less than a week.
"It is so touching to see all of the ways that Monica Joy made a difference in people's lives and she only got to live for 14 years. Imagine the amount of lives that she would have touched if she were able to be here with us today and continue," said Adams.
While family is calling for justice, Adams said that begins with solving the inequities that lead to gun violence in the first place.
"Gun violence is maybe even a symptom of what we're talking about, the bigger root causes for civil violence and the disparities that lead to the level of violence that happened in the neighborhood that Monica Joy was killed in," said Adams. "It's going to take everyone to change this. We have to have everyone on board."
Holley leaves behind seven siblings and a mother.
The public is invited to pay their respects at a visitation Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bradshaw Funeral in St. Paul.