A TEENAGER has killed herself in front of her family after she was driven to suicide by “relentless cyber-bullying.”
Brandy Vela, 18, from Texas City, US, sent a final text to her devastated loved ones, which read: “I love you so much just remember that please and I’m so sorry for everything.”
As her parents and grandparents rushed to see what was wrong, they found her standing in her bedroom with a gun.
Her older sister, Jackie told Houston News: “I heard someone crying so I ran upstairs and I looked in her room and she’s against the wall and she has a gun and she’s just crying and crying and I’m like,
‘Brandy please don’t, Brandy no.’”
She said her father cried out “help me, help me” after Brandy fired.
She died in hospital on Tuesday hours after she had tried to kill herself.
Ms Vela revealed her sister had always been bullied for her weight, but in recent months it had turned into a relentless campaign of cyber-bullying.
She told CNN: “People would make up fake Facebook accounts and they would message her and she wouldn’t respond and they would still come at her.
“They would say really, really mean things like, ‘Why are you still here?’ They would call her fat and ugly. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful; the only thing people could find to pick on her was her weight.”
Brandy’s father, Raul Vela, added other students had begun in April to create fake accounts pretending to be her.
He told KHOU: “[They] set up an account saying she was actually soliciting sex.
“We tried to persuade her to put the gun down but she was determined.
“She said she’d come too far to turn back. It was very unfortunate that I had to see that. It’s hard when your daughter tells you to turn around. You feel helpless.”
Despite Brandy changing her phone number and reporting the bullying to police, she was told there was nothing she could do.
The tragic teen was well liked, loved by her family and had lots of friends, but she could not cope with the stress of being bullied continuously.
Sister Jackie added: “They couldn’t do anything because [the suspects] used an app and it wasn’t traceable and they couldn’t do something until something happened, like they fight.”
Brandy’s entire family believe her death was down to an onslaught of bullying for years.
The Texas City Police Department released a statement saying its investigators are still looking into the cyber-bullying allegations.
Melissa Tortorici, the communications director for the Texas City independent School District where Brandy was a high school senior, said the community was “devastated.”
Tortorici added: “We’ve cared for Brandy since she came to TCISD in the sixth grade.
“We are devastated at this news.
“Our prayers, thoughts and concerns are with her family and friends as they grieve her loss.”
If you are experiencing mental health issues or suicidal feelings contact Lifeline on 12 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.
Brandy Vela, 18, from Texas City, US, sent a final text to her devastated loved ones, which read: “I love you so much just remember that please and I’m so sorry for everything.”
As her parents and grandparents rushed to see what was wrong, they found her standing in her bedroom with a gun.
Her older sister, Jackie told Houston News: “I heard someone crying so I ran upstairs and I looked in her room and she’s against the wall and she has a gun and she’s just crying and crying and I’m like,
‘Brandy please don’t, Brandy no.’”
She said her father cried out “help me, help me” after Brandy fired.
 |
| Brandy Vela has always been bullied because of her weight, according to her sister |
She died in hospital on Tuesday hours after she had tried to kill herself.
Ms Vela revealed her sister had always been bullied for her weight, but in recent months it had turned into a relentless campaign of cyber-bullying.
She told CNN: “People would make up fake Facebook accounts and they would message her and she wouldn’t respond and they would still come at her.
“They would say really, really mean things like, ‘Why are you still here?’ They would call her fat and ugly. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful; the only thing people could find to pick on her was her weight.”
Brandy’s father, Raul Vela, added other students had begun in April to create fake accounts pretending to be her.
He told KHOU: “[They] set up an account saying she was actually soliciting sex.
“We tried to persuade her to put the gun down but she was determined.
“She said she’d come too far to turn back. It was very unfortunate that I had to see that. It’s hard when your daughter tells you to turn around. You feel helpless.”
Despite Brandy changing her phone number and reporting the bullying to police, she was told there was nothing she could do.
The tragic teen was well liked, loved by her family and had lots of friends, but she could not cope with the stress of being bullied continuously.
 |
| Brandy Vela was bullied to death |
Sister Jackie added: “They couldn’t do anything because [the suspects] used an app and it wasn’t traceable and they couldn’t do something until something happened, like they fight.”
Brandy’s entire family believe her death was down to an onslaught of bullying for years.
The Texas City Police Department released a statement saying its investigators are still looking into the cyber-bullying allegations.
Melissa Tortorici, the communications director for the Texas City independent School District where Brandy was a high school senior, said the community was “devastated.”
 |
| Brandy Vela tragically killed herself in front of her family |
Tortorici added: “We’ve cared for Brandy since she came to TCISD in the sixth grade.
“We are devastated at this news.
“Our prayers, thoughts and concerns are with her family and friends as they grieve her loss.”
If you are experiencing mental health issues or suicidal feelings contact Lifeline on 12 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.
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