Tragedy struck when a 17-year-old Virginia girl lost her life in a suspected murder-suicide at the hands of her ex-boyfriend just two days before her 18th birthday, as per a report by Daily Mail. Serenity Hawley, of Blacksburg, was reportedly shot in her chest by her ex-boyfriend Croney Monk, who turned the gun on himself on Tuesday, November 7, weeks after she sought a no-contact order against him.
The victim’s body was found along with her suspected killer in her car in a local parking garage, as per Roanoke Times. About a month before the tragic incident, Hawley got a no-contact order against Monk through Blacksburg High School. Her family shared that she had been facing harassment and blackmail from him.
Hawley’s mother believes the tragedy could have been prevented
“I do believe that this could have been prevented,” her mother, Heather Waldron, told the Roanoke Times. “People in positions of leadership knew that he has a history or a past, and I think that if that had been taken care of, we wouldn’t be here,” she added.
“I just hope that this is a wake-up call for others that could be in this situation. And I hope that this will prevent someone else, another parent, from living this nightmare.”
A GoFundMe Page is created
Hawley’s family created a GoFundMe page to set up a scholarship in her memory. It has raised more than $20,000, around $6,000 more than its $15,000 goal.
“To have known serenity was to have known love and kindness,” the GoFundMe description stated. “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 added. “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.”