Dozens of teens mourn 'Little Miss Sunshine'

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Kirsten Hinckley was a girl who liked to put ice cream in the microwave and then eat it. She was the girl with the infectious laugh and contagious smile. To her friends, she was "our 'Little Miss Sunshine.'"

Dozens of Brighton High School teenagers turned out Friday afternoon at a memorial service inside an LDS chapel to remember the 15-year-old, one of five people killed Monday during a shooting at Trolley Square.

Several stood up to speak, recalling how Hinckley was a goal setter, with her eye on attending architecture school in England.

To many, she was known as "Bub," and she liked to work out life's problems while eating chocolate. She was concerned about the well-being of others.

Hinckley loved dance, art and theater. She liked to bake cakes. To one friend, the Brighton sophomore was the only friend brave enough to watch a scary movie one night.

The memorial service was videotaped for the benefit of Hinckley's mother, Carolyn Tuft, who was still in the hospital Friday. The previous day, Tuft had walked for the first time since the shooting, according to LDS Bishop Jack McDonald.

At the service Friday, friends and family members read poems, letters and tributes written for Kirsten.

They remembered what she was wearing on that Monday at school — the "cute" shoes, her hair done up in blonde curls. They remembered final words to one another, words that included, "I love you."

In a prayer offered by Kirsten's brother, Parker, he asked that people remember a person who radiated love and to use her memory as a reminder to be more kind to one another.

In a statement prepared by her father, Steve Hinckley, Kirsten was described as a strength and light in his life. She was his sidekick and "daddy's girl."

Her sister, Kaitlin, recalled a memory of Kirsten, a night that included looking at the stars and talking, that has often brought her comfort in tough times.

"Now, all I have is this memory, and no sister to help me be strong," she said. Kirsten, she added, was stolen from her.

"You are such a light to everyone who knew you," she added. "I will always grieve for my sweet sister. Not a day will go by when my heart doesn't ache for you. You are my angel, Kirsten."

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com