A Florida teen’s world turned the wrong way up in lower than 5 days when she discovered herself being “canceled” for allegedly breaking the “lady code.” After what’s been described as an “ambush,” the teenager’s mother discovered her face down — and when she rolled her over, her worst nightmare got here true.
McKenna Brown was simply three days from beginning her senior yr at East lake Excessive College in Pinellas County, Florida, and he or she was one month from turning 17 when her mom went to get her up for church and located her face down in her room. Cheryl Brown initially thought her daughter was sleeping, however when she rolled McKenna over, her worst fears got here to life — her daughter was useless.
“I discovered her face down in her room,” Cheryl recalled. “She will be able to actually sleep anyplace. And after I first walked within the room… it didn’t even happen to me that she was gone. I believed she was sleeping on the bottom, as uncomfortable because it regarded. I went over to her to attempt to flip her over, and he or she was chilly and stiff.”
Sadly, the teenager had dedicated suicide. Following her tragic dying, allegations that McKenna was bullied and even “canceled” surfaced, The Blaze reported. McKenna’s dad and mom realized that their daughter had begun to be severely bullied and harassed on-line by a few of her hockey teammates simply days earlier than she took her life. The truth is, in lower than 5 days, McKenna went from hanging out together with her hockey mates to committing suicide after what’s been described as a “tragic ambush.”
All of it allegedly started when an ex-boyfriend of a hockey teammate started flirting with McKenna. Out of respect for her good friend, the 16-year-old lady reportedly requested the teammate for permission to speak to the boy, who the opposite lady had dated two years earlier. The lady instructed McKenna she was high quality together with her speaking to her ex, however that rapidly modified. After accusing McKenna of breaking the “lady code,” her teammates allegedly tried to “cancel” McKenna, refusing to hang around together with her and sending her a “barrage of texts and cellphone calls.”
“You’ve executed all of us improper,” a former good friend allegedly texted McKenna. “I hope I by no means see you once more.”
McKenna allegedly apologized, however it was too late. She fell sufferer to on-line bullying as the teenager’s hockey teammates “proceeded to attempt to cancel” her on social media by urging others to not affiliate together with her, hoping to get the lady socially exiled, her mom stated.
“She was attacked,” Cheryl stated, in keeping with WTVT. “Her integrity was attacked. She was known as a bunch of names,” the grieving mom added. “The intent was to cancel her,” Cheryl furthered. “The truth is, one good friend, in quotes, stated that her mission was to ‘depart her and not using a single good friend.’”
Like most dad and mom, McKenna’s mother and pop assumed that the state of affairs was “boy drama,” which is frequent with teenage ladies. Nevertheless, the straight-A student-athlete in a short time succumbed to a “tsunami-type feeling” ignited by the net bullying and took her personal life due to it, Cheryl instructed The Every day Beast. Her dad and mom solely turned conscious of how unhealthy it was when it was already too late.
It was quickly realized that, despite the fact that McKenna and her teammates had been mates for so long as 8 years, a couple of of her fellow athletes started to “mass distribute” damaging messages about her. The so-called mates even leaked a narrative alleging that McKenna was raped at age 14 and commenced spreading rumors in regards to the darkest moments McKenna had already confronted in her quick life.
“She made a pair errors. It led to some bodily, sexual, emotional abuse. She was blackmailed. She was bullied. She was betrayed by her greatest good friend,” McKenna’s father Hunter defined.
In complete, three ladies had been accused of being answerable for the net harassment of McKenna Brown. These three youth hockey league gamers had been suspended by the Lightning Excessive College Hockey League for his or her alleged connection to McKenna’s suicide following an investigation, in keeping with McKenna’s mom. However that’s not ok for Cheryl, who’s calling for a change in cyberbullying legal guidelines.
“I would love there to be some accountability and acknowledgment to what occurs,” Cheryl stated. “She’s not right here, however she’s nonetheless serving to folks. That’s our mission: To assist her proceed to assist others.”
In hopes of serving to others, McKenna’s dad and mom appeared on the “Dr. Phil” present to debate psychological well being in teenagers and bullying.
“Should you’re conscious of one thing that’s happening in your child’s life that’s affecting one other child, you bought to say one thing,” Cheryl stated. “You’ll be able to’t simply not say one thing. That’s not OK and that would’ve prevented this.”
Though a number of teammates and their households got here ahead with tales and proof in regards to the bullying that they consider led to McKenna’s dying, it doesn’t seem the mistreatment violated the legislation. Although many who witnessed the mistreatment had been appalled, in keeping with Cheryl, there shall be no accountability criminally, Hunter defined. Hopefully, McKenna’s story will assist forestall others from participating in such merciless conduct in addition to encourage those that witness such cruelty to talk up and finish it earlier than it’s too late.
For the warning indicators and danger elements of suicide, click on right here. Should you or a beloved one are combating suicidal ideas or emotions of misery, please attain out to the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) without spending a dime and confidential emotional assist 24 hours a day, 7 days per week for each civilians and veterans. You may as well contact the Disaster Textual content Line by texting TALK to 741741.
