Tragedy Hits Home.

Credit: Contributed Photo

 

    It is sad to hear when individuals die today, but it exceptionally harder to digest when it's an entire family who lived only minutes away from your home and right down the street from the high school that you attended. Though Generation You did not know the Maxwell family personally, I have many friends who did and were affected by this lost. Therefore my first Top News article will be dedicated to this horrible and unthinkable tragedy that fell upon this family. My prayers go out to the families, friends, the Fayetteville community, and everyone else who is in mourning; R.I.P the Maxwell Family.

     Monday night Billy Maxwell Jr., 47, shot and killed his wife, Kathryn, 43, and their two children, 17-year-old Connor and 15-year-old Cameron, and then himself in their home. Authorities have not disclosed any knowledge as to what might have driven Maxwell to kill his family and then himself that night. Friends are boggled describing the Maxwells to be good neighbors and active churchgoers. Billy Maxwell was a deacon at the local Snyder Memorial Baptist church while his wife often taught Sunday school.

    Both the children, Connor and Cameron, attended Village Christian Academy. Connor was a senior, active in the church choir and a varsity cheerleader; friends tell Generation You that "she was excited about applying for college…she couldn't wait." Caroline Harrison, a childhood friend to Connor, also told Generation You, "She was one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She was always working hard to help others…She will be greatly missed." Cameron was a freshman and would have been playing in this upcoming Junior Varsity Basketball team that Billy Maxwell helped coach for.

     Students at the school gathered to remember the Connor and Cameron Tuesday, sharing stories about the teens. William Warren, the principal at Village Christian Academy, said that Mr. Maxwell was excited about the upcoming basketball season. "Billy Maxwell was an inspiration to our young people as one of our basketball coaches," the school said in a statement. Later Tuesday night hundreds of people came to Snyder Memorial Baptist church in a candlelight ceremony to remember the Maxwell family. During the very emotional service, which was held only one day after the family's deaths, Alexa Copenhaver and Libby Rose, two teenagers, shared heartfelt memories of growing up with Connor and Cameron.

    It is unfortunate to lose someone from within our own Generation. In the words from the song of the late Michael Jackson, "Gone too soon." Connor and Cameron, along with the Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell will forever be in the hearts and memories of those lives that they touched along the way. Generation You will continue to follow this story, and once we get it so will YOU. Why? Because: It's made by you. It's for you. It's Generation You. Also if you are on Facebook, several groups have been made to pay tribute to Connor and Cameron and the Maxwell family. If you would like to join the groups to leave a comment of your own memories of the family you can find the group by following these links. "R.I.P. Maxwell Family" http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=203106113641&ref=ts created by S. Hobgood, and "Memories with Connor" http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=171317093657&ref=ts created by J. Saburro.

If you have any concerns, comments, or feedback about this story or about Generation You please send us an email at GenerationYou@hotmail.com and we would greatly appreciate it.

Generation You writer Ashlei Elise