Louisiana Sheriff Opens Investigation into Teen’s Suicide after Bullying Tip

(KPEL News) - The suicide of a 14-year-old boy is being investigated by the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office after officials from the Sheriff's Office say a tip about bullying came in after the child's death according to a WAFB report.

Why Is the Teen's Suicide Being Investigated

According to various reports, including one from WBRZ, the young teen took his own life before Christmas on December 18. Following the teenager's suicide a Crimestoppers Tip was making stating that the teen had faced repeated bullying.

East Feliciana Sheriff Jeff Travis told the news outlets that an investigating into the teenager's suicide and the bullying aspect has begun.

Family, friends, students and others will be interviewed, according to the news outlets.

The teenager, identified as 14-year-old Gavyn Cunningham took his own life on December 18.

What Louisiana Law Deals with Bullying?

One of the biggest problems that young people face is cyberbullying, and in Louisiana, it is a crime. The statute, LA RS 14:40.7, outlines cyberbullying as the following,

Cyberbullying is the transmission of any electronic textual, visual, written, or oral communication with the malicious and willful intent to coerce, abuse, torment, or intimidate a person under the age of eighteen.

 

Ramifications of Cyberbulling

According to provision in the statute, someone who is proven to have taken part in cyberbullying can face the following,

whoever commits the crime of cyberbullying shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

Virtually all forms of communications used for cyberbullying are outlawed based on the state statute.

Officials with the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office have given no indication about what the cyberbullying centered around, and they have not released much information about the case other than to say a criminal investigaiton into the matter is ongoing.

East Feliciana Parish Chief Criminal Deputy Bill Cox was quoted by WBRZ as saying,

"There have been allegations that the young man was bullied at school and we are looking into that as part of the suicide investigation."

READ MORE: 'UNKNOWN NUMBER: THE HIGH SCHOOL CATFISH' HAS VIEWERS STUNNED - AS SHOW EXPOSES EXPLICIT TEXTS SENT TO STUDENT

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