Dreams can quickly turn into nightmares. One young couple from Florida was madly in love and planned to spend the rest of their lives together, but fate had a different idea. 17-year-old Alexandria Hollinghurst and 18-year-old Brandon Goode gunned down an officer before turning the gun on themselves in Windermere, Florida. After running away from home together, the couple may have planned to leave their families behind by sailing to Panama, but they never reached even reached the beach. This tragedy was not a spontaneous crime, but rather a well thought out plan that backfired. It is believed that the couple never planned on murdering 31-year-old Windermere Officer Robert German, but it is not definitively known what their intentions were. They were both suicidal and had a history of mental instability. These troubled teens reportedly had multiple run-ins with the law, and were arrested together for possession of marijuana. On top of that, Brandon was arrested on assault charges for threatening his mother with an axe while pinning her between a table and wall, demanding she accept his fathers divorce conditions. These teens were obviously troubled, and early intervention may have prevented this tragedy from unfolding.
What happened?
It is not uncommon for parents to find it difficult raising a teenager. Wild hormones and a sense of independence fog the vision of an otherwise well-behaved child during puberty. During this time, teens are vulnerable to peer pressure and all of the associated vices such as drugs or alcohol. In the case of Brandon and Alex at least, drugs were definitely involved. It is not fair to blame any other individual for what Alex and Brandon did, but it would unwise to say that there was no chance for preventing what happened. Why did Brandon not receive professional treatment after assaulting his mother? Was locking Alex in her home the best way to deal with her tendency to run away? Was letting Alex live with Brandon a good idea? Why did Brandon have access to a gun? There are a million questions that could be asked. The most important question is this: Could what happened have been prevented?
Could it have been prevented?
We will never know how the events of March 22nd, 2014 actually unfolded. Officer German did not activate his wearable camera before he was shot and there are no witnesses. With proper treatment, it is not unlikely that this horrible event could have been prevented. If Brandon was able to receive professional help soon after his parents divorced, he may not have ever become so aggressive. If Alex and her mother had a better relationship, Alex may not have been so prone to running away. It is sad to see such a tragic event that could have been prevented.