SANTA CLARITA — Cindy Muehlberger and Bryan Muehlberger returned home on November 14, 2019, after receiving news that their daughter, Gracie Muehlberger, had died in a shooting at Saugus High School. Bryan Muehlberger frequently visited his daughter's room to look at photographs and relive memories.

Photographs of the room include photo booth pictures with a friend, a fuzzy-topped makeup chair in front of a mirror, and an outfit hanging on a clothing rack. Cindy Muehlberger spent time in her daughter's bed following the event. "I spent the next week or two. I slept in her bed," Cindy Muehlberger said.

The Muehlbergers described their daughter as lively, creative, and confident. "She was full of life. She loved life and loved people. She was adventurous," she said. Bryan Muehlberger constructed a stage with a microphone and stand in her room for performances. "She would perform on that stage all the time for us and for friends," she added. Gracie Muehlberger left behind video recordings of herself singing, dancing, and acting. "I think she wanted to be on camera someday. Or in movies or TV or something," Bryan Muehlberger said.

The Muehlbergers discovered notes, journal entries, and letters to her future self stored in a trinket box in her bedroom. One such entry read, "OMG, it's high school. I've been waiting for this day forever. Don't be nervous, you'll meet some of your lifelong friends, and also some enemies." He reflected on this entry. "It's hard to read that one because she's still thinking about the future, lifelong friends, and you could see the excitement," he said.

Bryan Muehlberger has a quote from his daughter's journal tattooed on his arm which reads, "You only have one life to live, so why not live it great, real, and fill it with memories and experiences?" He discussed the impact of this phrase. "It's pretty powerful. We try to live our life like that now," she said. "We really do. That's our mantra for life now," he added.

Bryan Muehlberger shared his perspective on grief. "I heard a story one time about grief. When it happens, your life is nothing more than a black ball. It's all encompassing," he said. He further explained that the only way to move forward is to add new memories and experiences, causing the sphere around the ball of grief to grow, while the ball itself never shrinks. "You never know if you're gonna have another tomorrow. I didn't know that text was gonna be the last 'I love you' from her and the last 'I love you' from me to her," he said. He also said, "Life is so short and so precious. Don't be so focused on tomorrow and the future and forego what's right in front of you and the happiness you can have right in front of you."