Alabama Teen Kills Himself After Being Bullied For Being Gay

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

An Alabama teenager tragically killed himself after receiving homophobic bullying.

Nigel Shelby, 15, committed suicide on Thursday after struggling with depression as she struggled to accept her sexual preference, her mother, Camika Shelby, told NBC News.

“Nigel was the sweetest boy. He was so outgoing. It was always full of joy, full of light,”said the hurt mother. "It was special".

"Coming out [of the closet] at such a young age can be difficult," Camika told NBC. "You never know if it's going to be accepted. He did not know if he would accept it. That's my son, I love him."

While Nigel had Camika's unconditional support, at school it was a different story. The ruthless harassment he faced from his peers was intolerable.

When Camika returned home around 6 p.m. Thursday, she found her son dead.

Camika recalled the last moments she had with Nigel the night before he died.

"He said, 'Mom, I'm going to get better at school.' She kissed me and said she loved me,”Camika said on the way out. "That was the last conversation I had with my baby."

"When I got up to go to work the next morning, he was still asleep, so I couldn't even speak to him anymore."

Despite her problems, Camika said she had no idea that her son would kill himself.

“I'm a little confused as to what exactly made him kill himself. I didn't think he was going through that. I knew he was depressed, we were going to see the doctors. He was struggling with his identity… depression is real, it's really an illness,”Camika said.

"When you have a child who is already depressed and is going through a lot emotionally calling them by names that you shouldn't be calling or saying things to them, sometimes it has a worse effect than a child who is not struggling with [depression]," she said. about homophobic bullying.

But Camika told the agency that she wants her son to be remembered for more than just how and why he died. “He was much more than that. He was the sun. It breaks my heart because I had so much more love to give,”she said.

Following the news of Nigel's death, Huntsville High School, where Nigel was attending as a freshman, issued a statement in support of the Shelby family.

“Our sympathy, thoughts, and prayers go out to the Nigel family. Parents, please talk to your students about Nigel's death. Know and be aware of changes in your child. Talk to them about what they see, the words they speak, and the actions they can take to make a difference. We must be better, said the statement.

Nigel's story has not only shocked his community, but has touched various celebrities.

On Tuesday, Justin Bieber, 25, shared an article about Nigel's death writing: “This is horrible. I hate this with a passion … Please stop the hate! I don't understand how people can be so ignorant and hateful."

Until Tuesday, an Alabama sheriff's deputy was suspended after allegedly leaving comments against LGBTQ in a Facebook post about Nigel's death.

"Liberty, Guns, Bible, Trump and BBQ - that's my type of LGBTQ," said Madison County Sheriff Jeff Graves in a Facebook post about Nigel's case.

When questioned about Graves' words, Madison County Lt. Donny Shaw told Alabama.com: “The Sheriff's Office keeps all of its employees at a high level, and the public can be assured that it will take conduct a thorough audit and appropriate action will be taken.”

The comment has already been removed and the employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the audit.

Shelby family members have created a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising funds for Nigel's funeral arrangements.