Detroit Cops: 7-Year-Old Killed Self After Bullying

He was also depressed over parents' split
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted May 25, 2012 5:30 PM CDT
Detroit Cops: 7-Year-Old Killed Self After Bullying
A file photo of southwest Detroit.   (Shutterstock)

Detroit's police chief calls it "unfathomable": A 7-year-old boy hanged himself from his bunk bed with a belt, depressed over his parents' separation and because he got bullied constantly at school and around his neighborhood, reports the Detroit Free Press. He was discovered by his 14-year-old-sister, who saw him through the keyhole of his locked door.

"To imagine a child that young, who is so sad, that believes his only option is to do this? Heartbreaking is not a strong enough word," said a city councilwoman. The boy had talked about hurting himself, said the chief, and the family's pastor had been counseling him. In fact, the last time the boy's mother saw her son alive was Wednesday afternoon, when she left to talk to the pastor about his depression. (More Detroit stories.)

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