The tragic death of McKenna Brown: 3 bullies who drove girl, 16, to suicide suspended from hockey league
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA: A Pinellas County girl, 16, took her own life after getting severely harassed online by her teammates in the Florida hockey league. Her three alleged bullies have been suspended from Lightning High School Hockey League after they were accused by the victim's parents.
McKenna Brown took her own life in August after getting targeted by her own friends for talking to a boy one of them had previously dated. The shocking incident happened just five days after the whole story unwrapped itself. A spree of online abuse and harassing text messages were found on the hockey player's phone as she talked to one of the bullies' ex, reported Daily Mail.
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McKenna Brown's mother Cheryl Brown recalled the whole tragic event on Fox 13. She reminisced about her late daughter being there for everyone and walking her classmates who bullied her. However, the hockey league's goalie was left all alone during her time of online hate. Her mother shared that the girls even attended McKenna's funeral but did not speak to the parents. She felt disturbed by the presence of the alleged cyberbullies as they took part in her death.
McKenna reportedly met the boy on a beach where the latter began "flirting" with her. The 16-year-old had previously asked her friend if it was OK for her to continue talking to the boy to which her friend of five years had no problem. "She then realized a few days later that it wasn't OK with a friend based on how she retaliated," Cheryl stated to the outlet.
The goalie was spotted hanging with the boy on a causeway which fueled the girl group and led to the "barrage of texts and phone calls." Some of the text messages read: "'You've done all of us wrong'... ‘I hope I never see you again’..." McKenna responded to the cyberbullying with an apology to the teammate for talking to her ex-boyfriend.
However, the enraged bully did not cease their attack just here. Cheryl Brown confirms that the girl took to her social media to encourage people to cut ties with McKenna, "The intent was to cancel her. In fact, one friend, in quotes, said that her mission was to ‘leave her without a single friend.'" They had also leaked her personal information including when she was raped at the age of 14.
As per the report, on a family dinner night, McKenna noticed that her friends were all together at the same location with the help of Snapchat's map feature. This is when her face went pale, as per her mother. The next morning, McKenna was found face down on the ground. Her mother tried waking her up but her body was found stiff and cold.
McKenna Brown's suicide note does not contain the name of her bullies or even a mention of them. The letter reportedly referred to her parents that she felt safe at home and loved by her family but was "lacking a sense of belongingness."