Linda Harllee Harper, a longtime D.C. government employee who most recently served as director of the city’s offices of neighborhood engagement and gun violence prevention, died early Friday morning.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser shared the news on Friday.

“Our hearts are broken by the loss of Linda Harllee Harper,” Bowser wrote. “Linda was beloved in our community and within DC Government. Linda loved DC, she loved and believed in Washingtonians.”

Harllee Harper was born and raised in D.C. and attended Woodrow Wilson (now Jackson-Reed) High School. Most recently, she lived with her husband and teenage son in Ward 4.

Harllee Harper began her career in D.C. government working in substance abuse prevention at the now-shuttered Oak Hill juvenile detention facility. Eventually, she rose to the position of Senior Deputy Director at D.C.’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services; she was part of a team of reformers who transformed the city’s troubled juvenile justice system. They closed Oak Hill and replaced it with a smaller and more rehabilitation-focused facility called New Beginnings and began giving out grants to community-based organizations helping youth. She also co-hosted a WPFW radio show and podcast with the former director of DYRS, Clinton Lacey, called “Led by Love”; they both continued the show together, even after they moved on from their roles at the agency.

In 2021, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed her as the first director of a new agency called the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, charged with coordinating the city’s efforts to reduce violence. Earlier this year, Bowser appointed her to an additional role – Director of the city’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.

Harllee Harper led those agencies during a time of rising homicides in the District. She often spoke about how she felt the whole city, and particularly its Black community, was traumatized by gun violence.

“The ripple effects of gun violence are spread throughout our community in a way that has shaken us all,” she told DCist/WAMU in December. “I think the entire community, the entire city is just grieving.”

But despite the daily onslaught of tragedy, Harllee Harper said she remained hopeful about the possibility for change, and new steps the D.C. government was taking with regards to violence prevention.

“I think that the way that I keep hope alive is because I definitely have seen the success stories. I’ve seen how having opportunities available can create hope in others. I know that, even though I do have stories that I witness that have very sad and tragic endings, I also witness persons who change their lives around. I witness returning citizens coming back to the District and totally contributing to their communities in a positive way,” she told DCist/WAMU in 2021, when she took the helm of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. “And I think that that’s how I keep hope, because I know that people can change, and I believe that they can.”

Harllee Harper was known for her belief that the people closest to gun violence should be empowered to work to prevent it. She launched the Building Blocks grant program, which distributed $1.6 million in small grants to individuals and small community-based organizations with ideas for preventing gun violence. In addition to this, Harllee Harper was working on a broader citywide gun violence reduction plan. Beyond day-to-day responsibilities, Harllee Harper could often be seen at community events during evenings and weekends.

“She dedicated her career and life to our young people and our community, and when she had a seat at the table, she was always bringing someone with her – always listening to and empowering people closest to the communities she was working to help,” Bowser wrote. “She didn’t give up on people. Hearing Linda speak about our community and our youth, especially our vulnerable young people, you knew that this was more than a career, this was her calling and her purpose. Linda touched so many lives in DC, she made people feel heard, and we know this loss will be felt deeply across our community. Our prayers and love are with Linda’s husband and son and the many people in our community who loved and admired Linda.”

This story’s headline has been updated to reflect Linda Harllee Harper’s correct age.