The family of a 16-year-old Tennessee boy is pressuring the district attorney to file charges after they say he died by suicide following his classmates posting about his sexuality on social media.
Channing Smith, a Coffee County resident, fatally shot himself on Sept. 22, according to Fox 17. Smith’s brother Joshua said that the family initially had no idea why he killed himself, but he later found out that two of Channing’s classmates posted screenshots of messages that showed he was bisexual on Snapchat and Instagram right before his death.
Channing had exchanged messages with a boy who, in addition to another girl, posted them on social media on the Sunday he died by suicide.
“They did it to just completely humiliate and embarrass my brother,” Joshua said. “Being in a small, rural town in the middle of Tennessee, you can imagine being the laughing stock and having to go to school Monday morning. He couldn’t face the humiliation that was waiting on him when he got to school on Monday, so he shot and killed himself.”
According to Joshua, his brother called the girl that day after the photos were posted and told her he was going to kill himself, but she never told anyone.
“I was told by the lead investigator in Coffee County that he was pushing to have the kids charged criminally and the district attorney’s office has decided that they did not want to pursue it,” Joshua said.
Although District Attorney Craig Northcott has not yet charged anyone in Channing’s death, he said in a statement that the cyberbullying is still being investigated.
“I express my heartfelt condolences to his family. My office has encouraged, cooperated in, and supported the investigation into the events leading to this death,” Northcott said. “Procedurally, no charging decisions have been made by my office nor has the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department asked for a decision since the investigation has not been completed. When all relevant facts are available, my office will advise the Coffee County Sheriff’s Department on what charges, if any, we believe are appropriate to help guide it in that decision.”
He said any reports that his office has refused or failed to act on the matter are “inaccurate.”
Northcott has come under fire in the past for saying same-sex partners wouldn’t receive protections from domestic violence laws.
Hundreds attended a vigil held Thursday honoring Channing’s life.
