Yet another "beautiful and stunningly brave trans girl" who simply trooned out due to underlying, unresolved issues. Running away from all his issues.
Unfortunately, I don't think his death could've been avoided since it wasn't even trans related.
Brianna met up with the killers after being lured by the promise of drugs from Scarlett, the female killer, one of his only real-life friends. If Brianna was less mentally ill, maybe he wouldn't have been so desperate, and interested in narcotics.
The murderers' first choice of victim - a regular boy - realised that something was wrong, and wouldn't engage with them. Whereas Brianna seemed to realise that something was wrong, feeling incredibly anxious on the bus ride and when he was hanging out with them. Also during this time, Brianna texted his friend that Scarlett was weird and pretending to have a drug dealer. Yet he stayed.
I wonder if he stayed out of politeness. He was socially anxious, bullied for being trans, and had a lack of friends.
Brianna exercised fatally bad judgement that day, whereas the regular boy's judgement saved his life. I'm not victim blaming, many kids make bad decisions and they don't deserve to be slaughtered for seeking drugs or not knowing how to escape an awkward situation. I'm just saying that Brianna being trans and the accompanying poor mental health and bullying made him much more vulnerable.
Also, the murder was the moment that months of homicidal words became physical reality. It was the male murderer, Eddie, who ferociously stabbed Brianna to death. Eddie was virulently transphobic, and I can't help but think this was the driving force for making fantasy into reality, brutally stabbing to death this person who he didn't even know.