Another case of murder-suicide in the United States wherein ex-boyfriend fatally shot a teenage girl in Virginia before killing himself 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A bright and bubbly Virginia teen’s life was sadly cut short when her ex-boyfriend killed her in a murder-suicide two days before her 18th birthday.

The Blacksburg Police Department said in a press release, “Two high school students were found dead in a parking garage, but we are not releasing the identities at this time.”

Shortly after the news release, the mother of one of the students, identified the victim as her daughter, Serenity Hawley. She told news media that Serenity was shot in the chest by her ex-boyfriend, who then fatally shot himself.

“It was a murder-suicide, “Serenity’s distraught mother said while crying. “This should have never happened.”

However, police did not confirm if the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide, but did say there was no ongoing threat to the community.

“Serenity, 17, had recently been accepted into Virginia Tech,” her mother, Heather Waldron said. “Serenity’s school had issued a no-contact order between her and him, because there had been an incident between the two about a month before the order.”

Serenity’s father said, “My daughter was being intimated by that boy. He would follow her in the halls and walk in front of her to make himself known after the no-contact order was issued.”

“He was also blackmailing and harassing her on social media. He would tell her he would expose her everywhere if she didn’t listen to him and give him what he wanted,” her father added. “We had no idea some of this stuff was even going on until today after speaking with the officers that are investigating.”

Serenity’s family started a GoFundMe, that has raised more than $20,000.

“To have known serenity was to have known love and kindness,” the GoFundMe description reads. “She emitted it everywhere she went and left no one untouched in a room she shared. She was gorgeous, smart and well loved by everyone, taken entirely too soon from us.”

“She’s a daughter, a sister, a friend, a teammate, and a student, that will be cherished and remembered by the memories we all shared with her,” the description continues. “She’s innocence, beauty, happiness, compassion and love all blurred into one. We know that the memory of her will serve as an ongoing inspiration and reminder to make love the center of your life.”