McKenna Brown was a 16-year-old student at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She was about to begin her senior year when she decided she couldn’t cope with living any longer and committed suicide.
She took her own life after suffering constant cyberbullying from a small group of girls at her school.
Brown was recognized as a top-notch hockey player who hoped to play next year for the University of South Florida Women’s Hockey team.
The bullying started when Mckenna Brown began speaking to one of her friend’s ex-boyfriends. This allegedly prompted the friend and two other conspirators to bully her, endlessly taunting and harassing her. She had even asked permission from that friend if it would be okay for her to become friendly with the ex-boyfriend, but that didn’t placate her terrorizer. The girl had been a close friend for years, and they had traveled and played together on the hockey team.
The group of girls released very private and embarrassing details about Brown on social media, including that she had been raped when she was 14-years-old. One of the girls texted her, “You have done all of us so wrong,” and “I hope I never see you again.” The girls encouraged others to harass Brown, and she received toxic texts, including one that told her they wanted to leave her without a single friend. The group was encouraging others to “cancel” the young hockey star.
According to Brown’s mother, one of the most lethal offenders had the audacity to show up at her daughter’s funeral.
The three girls who initiated the harassment were also hockey players. They have been suspended from their high school hockey club and the league.
In addition to her parents, Mckenna Brown leaves behind a brother and sister. Her former teammates remember her as someone who cared about others and stood up for people who needed support.