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Jackson Grubb Suicide: Family Of 9-Year-Old West Virginia Boy Says He Was Bullied To Death [Video]

By Patricia Ramirez
Published on: 02:45 PST, Sep 15, 2016

After months of constant bullying, happy and good-natured Jackson Grubb, a West Virginia third-grader, committed suicide last Saturday. The 9-year-old boy had reportedly been dealing with a serious bullying situation both in and out of school, and despite his family’s best efforts to help him overcome the torment, last weekend Jackson Grubb simply couldn’t take the incessant abuse anymore.

According to the family of Jackson Grubb, his suicide came after an extended period of bullying that the 9-year-old desperately tried to manage, reports NBC 4 New York. Jackson had reportedly always been the quiet, stoic type, a child who did his best to find a smile for everyone and to hold his emotions inside himself and away from the scrutiny of the world. In the weeks leading up to his suicide, the family of Jackson Grubb noticed something was wrong, and they knew that Jackson had been suffering from pervasive bullying at the hands of his classmates. However, they never believed that 9-year-old Jackson would commit suicide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TbpL-EBzyU

Who thinks that a third-grade child would even consider suicide, let alone attempt to carry it out and succeed?

Jackson Grubb’s grandmother, Betsy Baber, spoke to the media regarding the suicide of her grandson. She said that she desperately tried to get through to the little boy over the last couple of weeks. According to Betsy, Jackson Grubb had used multiple tactics to try to come to terms with his bullies, largely using his sense of humor and even reportedly getting physical with the children who relentlessly tormented him.

Heartrendingly, Jackson Grubb’s grandmother even told the media that her 9-year-old grandson built a clubhouse within the last couple of weeks before his suicide. The child, who family members say had lost his will to fight by that time, simply wanted to convince the other children to play with him rather than pick on him. Despite his best efforts, Jackson Grubb was unsuccessful in his attempts to make friends with his tormentors.

The tragedy of 9-year-old Jackson Grubb’s suicide was discovered by his older sister, reports Inside Edition. Apparently, she, like the rest of Jackson’s family, was aware that he was down in the dumps, and on Saturday, she attempted to lift his spirits by showing him a frog she’d found. When she entered her brother’s bedroom, Jackson’s sister found him dead. Local police are not releasing an official cause of death in the case of the apparent suicide of Jackson Grubb, but authorities have said that the boy was wounded and his injuries were apparently self-inflicted.

Multiple reports have indicated that Jackson Grubb committed suicide by hanging himself.

Jackson’s devastated sister, a sister who endured finding the dead body of her small brother, took her grief to Facebook.

“I miss my baby brother. I wish he was here today. Fly high brother we miss you so so much… and we all love you… STOP THE BULLYING NOW.”

According to his family, the bullies that got their kicks picking on Sophia-Soak Creek Elementary School 9-year-old were relentless. They reportedly tormented Jackson Grubb (known to his loved ones as “Action Jackson”) both at his home and during school. His family says that it wasn’t uncommon for the kids who bullied Jackson Grubb literally to death to wait for him outside of his own home at a trailer park in Sophia.

So far, neither Jackson Grubb’s school nor the Raleigh County School District have responded to media requests for comment in the suicide of the third-grader. However, even though the school he attended is staying mum regarding the torment that Jackson went through, loved ones and strangers alike have come forward with condolences and support of the family. Jackson’s uncle, Shane Baber, shared a message to his nephew on social media following the news of the 9-year-old boy’s suicide.

“I want him to know that his Uncle Shane loves him wholeheartedly and he was my Action Jackson, I don’t know why God took you so early but you will remain in my heart always. I love you bubba.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Jackson Grubb’s family to help them cover the costs of the expenses related to his unexpected suicide. So far, nearly $9,000 of the family’s $3,000 goal has been raised. Many donors have left messages of condolences and support, with at least one person calling out the unnamed bullies who picked on Jackson Grubb to the point that he committed suicide to escape their relentless cruelty.

“Never understand why the world makes it so much easier to be a bully and yet so much HARDER to be a friend to someone. That is not right. We are all grieving with the Grubb Family in this dark time, may his light shine onto others affected by bullies. Bullies shame on you. Jackson, may you now be in PEACE.”

Bullying has become a deadly epidemic in U.S. schools, and it is often found to be a contributing factor in suicide cases. As in the case of Jackson Grubb’s suicide, child victims seem to be getting younger and younger all the time. Many school districts around the country have implemented “zero tolerance” bullying policies, but the problem is a relentless one. As in the case of Jackson Grubb’s suicide, sometimes with tragic and deadly results.

There is no word yet regarding whether authorities will pursue charges against the bullies in the case of Jackson Grubb, who committed suicide after literally being bullied to death.

[Featured Image by Betsy Baber/GoFundMe]

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