Domestic violence results in the deaths of two teens in a murder-suicide in Colorado
UPDATE: to original post of 1/16/20
The WVPI has regularly addressed the particularly lethal intersection of when domestic violence meets workplace violence.
We have also discussed the risk factor of teen domestic violence during, for instance, our July 2018 "From Columbine to Noblesville" symposium, whose attendees included family members of innocents murdered at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Santa Fe High School mass shootings:
TRAGEDY STRIKES IN COLORADO:
On January 14, 2020, 17-year-old Mya Pena was picked up from her school in Highlands Ranch - the same town where the May 2019 STEM school shooting occurred - and driven to a nearby parking lot by an 18-year-old male.
Although the male, a drop out, had not attended Mile High Academy with Mya, he visited with her there many times in the past.
It is believed Mya was shot to death by the male in the parking lot nearby her school. According to reports, Mya's killer then drove to another location and committed suicide. Their bodies were found after Mya was reported as missing and law enforcement issued a "BOLO" (be on the lookout) for the pair.
A friend of the shooter who knew him since the seventh grade named Jaylen Bridges said the shooter published an image of intense love for Mya on social media. Bridges also stated the shooter, a drop out of both his former high school and a GED program, had dreams of becoming an MMA fighter.
According to Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock, Mya and her killer had known each other for years and at some point the relationship "grew stronger." The male was too young to purchase the handgun used in the murder-suicide. It is unclear where and how he obtained the firearm at this time.
Several law enforcement agencies began searching for the two after the male posted comments on social media about “concern with his behavior with the victim,” stated Spurlock.
At the time of the murder-suicide, Mya's killer who resided in Littleton (home to Columbine High School) was being investigated in connection with a November 2019 domestic violence episode involving another female in nearby Aurora, where a mass shooting occurred inside a movie theatre on July 20, 2012.
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The WVPI recommends all workplaces and schools implement proactive policies and procedures focusing on safety and domestic violence.
Sources:
https://www.kktv.com/content/news/Police-activity-on-I-25--566992831.html
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/murder-suicide-investigation-underway-after-bodies-found-off-i-25-in-el-paso-county
https://highlandsranchherald.net/stories/two-teens-found-dead-in-possible-murder-suicide,292446
https://kdvr.com/2020/01/16/douglas-county-sheriffs-office-identifies-17-year-old-killed-in-suspected-murder-suicide/
https://kdvr.com/2020/01/15/friend-of-teen-murder-suicide-suspect-i-dont-see-how-this-happened/