Ronnie McNutt, an Iraq War veteran, publicly took his own life on Aug. 31.
The 33-year-old from Mississippi was livestreaming on Facebook when he shot himself. Video of the Army veteran’s suicide has been circulating on the popular video-sharing app TikTok.
Users have claimed that some who have posted video of the death have edited it to include clips of cats to trick people into watching. Millions of people are believed to have already seen the footage of McNutt taking his own life, according to the Daily Mail.
One person posted on Twitter, “If you see this guy on your For You page, please scroll up immediately.” The user added, “It’s very gruesome and I highly suggest you stay away from TikTok for a while.”
TikTok is doing what it can to remove all uploads of the video, according to a spokesman for the platform.
“Our systems have been automatically detecting and flagging these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide,” the spokesman said. “We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and we appreciate our community members who’ve reported content and warned others against watching, engaging, or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the person and their family.”
Facebook issued a similar statement, writing, “We removed the original video from Facebook last month on the day it was streamed and have used automation technology to remove copies and uploads since that time. Our thoughts remain with Ronnie’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
McNutt’s church confirmed his death on Sept. 1. “Ronnie will be missed by all who loved and knew him,” a statement from the church said. “He was very caring, committed, loyal, dependable, and eccentric. He served his church faithfully and was loved by many. Although events surrounding his death were tragic, we take comfort in our Creator, believing that because of Ronnie’s confession and conversion as a believer in Christ Jesus, he is currently before our loving Father.”
People who are experiencing or know someone who is having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255 for free and confidential support.
