Nigel Shelby, 15 Years Old Commits Suicide After Being Bullied for Being Gay

Nigel Shelby, a 15-year-old ninth grader Huntsville High School student committed suicide on April 18, 2019, in his Alabama home.

Shelby’s mother, Camika Shelby, said her son suffered from depression, and struggled with being gay.

Shelby told NBC News:

Coming out as being gay as a child is very difficult. You do not know if you will be accepted. My son did not know if I would accept him for being gay. Nigel is my child, and I will love him no matter what.

She continued by saying that Nigel was bullied relentlessly for being gay at his school. She said:

He would always tell me how the other kids would say things that hurt his feelings. I did not know how bad the bullying was until I was told now.

Shelby said the night before Nigel killed herself, she went to sleep early because she leaves at 3 a.m for work. She recalls her son came into her room and said: “Mom, I promise I will do better in school.” He kissed me and told her: “I love you.”

She left her home for work while he was still sleeping. When she returned home, she discovered him dead.

Shelby said Nigel was seeing a doctor because of his depressing. He struggled with being gay, which also was a factor for his depression.

She said:

He struggled with his identity as a gay person. Depression is a disease.

Shelby now hopes to teach others that bullying can affect mental health.

Shelby said she does not want Nigel to be remembered as the “the kid who was bullied in school because he was gay and killed himself.”

She said Nigel was more than a gay person who took his life. He was a sweet child, full of joy and light.

A GoFundMe Page Was set up to help pay for arrangements. As of April 26, it met its goal of $26,000 raising $37,974.

Written by Barbara Sobel

Sources:

Scary Mommy: Ninth Grader Dies By Suicide After He Was Bullied For Being Gay
AOL: Alabama high school freshman commits suicide after he was bullied for being gay
NBC 12: ‘He was sunshine’: AL mother discusses teen son who took his life after depression, bullying

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of GoFundMe – Creative Commons License