11-year-old girl who died by suicide after being bullied

By Marcela Rodrigues
Staff writer

GAINESVILLE – Hundreds gathered in downtown Gainesville Saturday to mourn the life of a Texas girl who died by suicide. Her family said classmates bullied her by threatening to call immigration agents on her parents.

Dozens carried candles and signs asking for justice for Jocelynn Rojo Carranza. Jocelynn’s family wore white hoodies with a photo of the girl in heaven with angel wings.

The 11-year-old died on Feb. 8 after spending five days at a Dallas hospital, her family said. The Dallas County medical examiner’s office ruled her death a suicide.

The family said they learned after Jocelynn’s death that classmates threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take her parents away. They said Jocelynn had gone to a counselor to share what she had experienced.

In a radio interview with KGAF, Gainesville ISD Superintendent DesMontes Stewart said the school wasn’t aware of the bullying but has now identified students involved. He said Jocelynn was attending a “group to help with coping skills” but “that was nothing related to bullying.”

Gainesville ISD is investigating the bullying allegations, while the Gainesville Police Department is investigating her death.

The Saturday gathering started with speeches from family members, friends and advocates and ended with a candlelight circle playing Jocelynn’s favorite song, “Die with a Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.

“I want people to remember my daughter as a happy girl,” Marbella Carranza, Jocelynn’s mother, told The Dallas Morning News.Related:Texas girl, 11, died by suicide; her parents say she was bullied with threats of ICE

“She had a favorite t-shirt, a red Spider-Man t-shirt that her uncle gifted her,” Carranza said in Spanish, with a brief smile between the tears. “Since she got that t-shirt from her uncle, she always wore it.”

Many of Jocelynn’s classmates knew of her love for Spider-Man and wore their own matching red t-shirts. Some brought Spider-Man balloons and Spider-Man plush toys.

Dozens of elementary school-aged girls went in front of the crowd to speak about Jocelynn. Many cried, wishing she was still here.

“Jocelynn was my best friend and I just wish that I could hang out with her one more time,” said Harper Irvin, in tears. “I loved playing the French Horn with her. I just wish that I could say my last goodbye.”

This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.