12-year-old boy commits suicide over cheerleading bullying

[Coop 15,400]

FOLSOM, Calif.  A 12-year-old middle-school student in Folsom, Cailf., committed suicide this week and friends and family say relentless anti-gay bullying was the cause because the boy was on the cheerleading squad last year.

 

Ronin Shimizu died shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Sacramento County coroner’s office.

Police have not released any additional information regarding Ronin’s death, other than to say it was “non-suspicious,†a term they use to describe natural death, accidental death or suicide.

But friends and parents said Ronin took his own life because of ongoing bullying.

Last year, Ronin was in sixth grade at Folsom Middle School and was the only boy on the school’s cheerleading squad. Several classmates say Ronin has been called gay ever since.

The bullying got to be so bad, Ronin was taken out of school and had to be home-schooled. He was also being home schooled this year.

 

“He was bullied very badly,†Riley Coleman said as she teared up. The Folsom Middle School sixth grader was on the squad with Ronin last year. “It’s not ok to bully people,†she told KXTV.

Neighbor Danii Bello, 14, said Ronin loved cheerleading and liked to make his own clothes.

Daniel Thigpen with the Folsom Cordova School District confirms they did get a number of complaints from Ronin’s parents, according to KCBS-TV. They say they followed protocol, but friends say the taunting just wouldn’t stop.

On Thursday evening, friends and members of the school’s cheerleading squad organized a candlelight vigil near Ronin’s home in Folsom.

 

Editor’s Note: If you or a young person you know is LGBT and thinking about suicide, please call The Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386. For adults over 24, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

 

 

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/12/12-year-old-boy-on-cheerleading-squad-commits-suicide-over-anti-gay-bullying/

 

 

 

 

 

 

This makes me so sad.  :emo:  What's happening to this world? It's like we're de-evolving. 

[RAMROD 117,548]

What the fuuu!!

He was only in 6th grade!!

Gosh, I never knew 6th grade was this brutal.

It clearly didn't when I was in 6th grade.

What happened? That isind boggling.

[ARTPOPisaChoice 946]

Is it too extreme for me to think that who ever bullied him needs to be charged with a crime? It's a shame that another talented young boy felt like he was so unloved that he took his own life :(

[Tove Lo 2,481]

I'm not surprised, people in 6th grade for me were complete assholes and it only got worse in 7th grade.

R.I.P. though

[Contra 145]

Horrible, this really needs to stop :cry:

My condolences go to his family & friends, may he RIP

[ByeBye49 161]

Sixth grade. :(

 

This is terrible, it needs to stop.  :cry:

[SweetEscape 654]

God this is awful  :emo: That poor boy

May he rest in peace.

[Ziva 193]

I have no words for this...

May he rest in peace

[amenART 429]

how terrible, may he rest in peace †

[AddMeOnMYSPACE 2,097]

Poor kid.

[xoxo cupcakke 4,781]

Middle school was definitely the worst. I hated it so much because I was somewhat a pariah for simply being a guy who hung out with girls. People would talk about me behind my back or right in my face saying disrespectful things.

 

In one case, a girl asked me if I wore a tampon because I hung out around girls so much I practically was one. That may be funny in a joking way but she was not joking. I actually contemplated suicide in middle school but luckily I didn't follow through.

 

I knew if I would have, I wouldn't live to see another Gaga album. That was the only reason I practically stayed alive because it was Gaga who saved me with her music and personality and it made me feel secure and it's one of the reasons I can't really ever hate her.

 

I wish more attention is being paid to middle school bullies because that's where everything starts. That's where homophobia and ostracism start, among other things. This child had a promising future but since no one ever really did anything to the bullies, the child had to do something to himself. Moving away from school to home school didn't work so he must have thought suicide was the only answer. If only people would just really pay attention to the treatment of children in school, out of school, and online, then I don't think a tragic case like this would happen. He shouldn't have become a martyr at this young an age or any age for that matter. He deserved better and he deserved to live. Something should be done to the bullies or at least an entire reformation of the school system as it is obviously not working out with this generation as I see in my own school of students who don't really care about school and don't really care about others. Then, stuff like this would not happen or at least not happen as frequently as it does.

[Mariann 301]

The moment when you feel like there is no other solution but suicide even at such a young age. Poor boy. R.I.P.  :cry:

[SIRE 75]

There was a sixth grader in my school who did the same cause of bullying :( so sad :( RIP

[Dann 354]

That's why u should not let anyone to bring u down or talk sh*t. But he was just a kid and this makes me sad so sad... RIP little boy :(

[Robotboy 1,700]

this makes me so angry.. so many beautiful souls fall because of lesser people feel the need to do this ****.