Just hours after 13-year-old Izabel Laxamana jumped from an interstate overpass in Tacoma, Washington, on May 29, rumors began to circulate on social media about what drove her to suicide.
At the center of those rumors was a 15-second video posted on YouTube. In it, Izabel is seen with her hair cut short. Her once long, black locks were on the ground in a pile. Her father could be heard speaking off camera.
“Man, you lost all that beautiful hair,” he said. “Was it worth it?”
The video went viral and led to the most prevalent rumor about Izabel’s death – that the Giaudrone Middle School student killed herself by jumping off the South 48th Street overpass because her father had posted the clip online to shame her. Some called for her father to be prosecuted criminally.
Within days, the story became global news and rumors made their way into headlines all over the world.
“What I saw in this particular incident was news media reporting what was being put on the Internet by citizens who had no idea about the facts,” said Tacoma Police Department spokeswoman Loretta Cool, who urged patience until a full investigation could be done.
Police say the real story about what led Izabel to take her own life is nothing like the tale being spun online, KCPQ in Seattle reported.
Cool said Izabel’s father never posted the video online, but sent a copy to his daughter so she could have a reminder of the consequences for misbehaving. According to police, Izabel’s parents did not want her using social media and cut her hair after she was caught sending a suggestive photo to a boy.
Police say it was Izabel who shared video of the punishment with several of her friends.
Tacoma Public Schools said it became aware of the video on May 27 and that Izabel was given counseling at school on the morning of her suicide.
It wasn’t until later that day, after Izabel jumped from the South 48th Street overpass onto Interstate 5, that a friend posted the video to YouTube, police say. It now has more than 4 million views.
Based on eight notes Izabel left behind before she died, investigators believe she took her own life because she was ashamed of her own actions on social media and was worried the photo she’d sent to a boy would haunt her for the rest of her life.
In one note, Cool said, Izabel told her father how much she loved him and that he wasn’t to blame for her death.
In addition to rumors about whether the video contributed to her death, classmates said Izabel was being bullied at school and was upset because she couldn’t participate in student government.
“I think it just pushed her too far, to where she wanted to do what she did,” said one of Izabel’s friends, who was at a memorial set up along the overpass in her honor.
“She just felt like she couldn’t take it anymore,” said another friend. “There were a lot of things going on in her life.”
In a statement released over the weekend, the Tacoma Public School District responded to rumors surrounding Izabel’s death.
“The death of Izabel Laxamana … has taken an emotional and traumatic toll on the staff and students at Giaudrone Middle School. The crisis response arranged for the Giaudrone community – and other Tacoma schools where students and staff had a connection to Izabel – is one of the most extensive in recent memory,” the statement read in part.
Students and staff cooperated with the police investigation, according to the statement.
“When Giaudrone Principal Billy Harris became aware of and viewed a concerning social media video that week involving Izabel – a video not related to any other students – it was responsibly and professionally addressed. A Child Protective Services report was made and Izabel received counseling support at school,” the statement continued.
Rumors that Harris and other staff members “shamed” Izabel were false, the statement said. She was not allowed to run for a student government position because she did not have parental permission, a necessary requirement, the district stated.
“No announcement was made regarding Izabel’s lack of participation in elections. Additionally, Giaudrone and district staff were unaware of any current student-to-student harassment, intimidation or bullying of Izabel at school,” the statement read. “Grieving is a process, and we will continue to support our community as we move forward from the initial shock of this tragedy.”
Police are expected to close their investigation into Izabel’s suicide as early as Wednesday. Cool said it is unlikely that criminal charges will be recommended against anyone in connection to her death.
Attempts to reach Izabel’s family by phone and in person were not successful.
Anyone contemplating suicide can call the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Teens struggling with depression can also call 866-833-6546 (866-TEEN-LINK).