dead police officer had been wearing a body camera and the footage will prove crucial to any investigation. Photo / Thinkstock
A British teenager and her American boyfriend found dead after gunning down a police officer in Florida left suicide notes before going on the rampage, it has emerged.
Alexandria Hollinghurst, 17, originally from Greater Manchester, and 18-year-old Brandon Goode, are believed to have entered into suicide pact after they were arrested on suspicion of drug offences last month.
One theory now being explored is that the couple were intent on committing "suicide by cop" and had hoped to be shot dead by police after pulling a gun on an armed officer. When that plan did not work they took turns to shoot themselves dead, using their own weapon.
Police in Florida confirmed the pair had been reported as missing by their families after two separate suicide notes were found at the weekend.
Last night Miss Hollinghurst's grandmother said everything had gone wrong for the teenager after she became involved with Goode.
Speaking from her home in Manchester, Joyce Johnson, 74, said: "I am shocked and devastated. She was an adorable granddaughter, but it all went wrong in the last 12 months after she met Goode.
"Alex was outgoing and very, very bright. She had two jobs, one at Disneyland. Her parents were very proud of her.
"But then she met Goode and she just changed completely. Her mum and dad knew he was a bad one, but they could not do very much about it. Tom would not let him in the house. They knew he was in trouble with drugs.
"Both Alex and Goode had been arrested for drugs and were going through the court process so she had to live at home under curfew, but she managed to sneak out over the weekend, despite the doors and windows being locked."
In 2012 Goode was charged with aggravated battery after threatening his own mother with an axe and last month the couple were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana.
A friend, who attended the same high school as Miss Hollinghurst, said: "Alex had moved into Brandon's home. Her parents did not like Brandon because he was involved in drugs and made no secret that he liked to smoke weed."
Miss Hollinghurst was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester in 1996 and went to primary school in Glossop, before moving to America six years ago with her parents Debra and Matthew "Tom" Hollinghurst and her younger sister. The family originally settled in Alabama where Mr Hollinghurst's parents, David and Lynette, had first emigrated in 1995, but later moved to Davenport in Florida.
Miss Hollinghurst was described as a model pupil who had completed high school a year early and was looking forward to going to college. She was described as being completely besotted with Goode, who despite being extremely bright had a history of drug and discipline problems.
A police report regarding the axe incident at Goode's home described how he covered his face in black paint and pinned his mother to the wall before demanded that she accept his father's divorce settlement.
He was initially charged with assault with a deadly weapon, but the case was dropped when his mother refused to press charges.
Last month Goode and Miss Hollinghurst were stopped in his car by police and arrested on suspicion of having marijuana paraphernalia.
It was understood they were due to appear in court in relation to the offence. In the early hours of Sunday morning the couple were spotted in the exclusive Windermere district of Orlando, where golfer Tiger Woods used to live. Police officer Robert German, who was on routine foot patrol, reported the pair as appearing suspicious and called for backup. But when other officers arrived they found their colleague lying fatally injured with a gunshot to the head.
A short time later the bodies of Miss Hollinghurst and Goode were found close by. Each had been shot.
The dead police officer had been wearing a body camera and the footage will prove crucial to any investigation.
A spokesman for the Orange County sheriff confirmed that the teenagers' deaths were being treated as suicide, despite suggestions that Goode may have murdered Miss Hollinghurst before turning the gun on himself.
The spokesman said: "We have been given suicide notes written by both individuals. The contents of those notes will not be revealed at this time, as the investigation is active and open."
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