Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, an 11-year-old girl, left her family anguished after she sadly took her own life due to constant bullying about her parents’ immigration status. 

On Feb. 3, she attempted to take her life, but she was found by her mother and was rushed to the hospital. Despite attempts to save her, five days later, she was found unresponsive in her hospital bed.

Carranza attended Gainesville Intermediate School, where many students made comments about how her parents are immigrants. One of the most frequent was, “We’re going to call ICE to get your family so you can be left alone forever.” However, Carranza was born in the United States; she felt hurt, and she lived in fear that something was going to happen to her family.

Carranza’s mother, Marbella Carranza, was not aware that her daughter was seeing a counselor twice a week until the police started to investigate the death of her little girl. Superintendent Desmontes Stewart said the school had signed a document for Jocelynn Carranza to see a counselor. Marbella Carranza stated that she had never signed any sort of document and believed that it was a lie. However, the Gainesville Intermediate School District Student Handbook states that students don’t need a signature to see the counselor. 

The Carranza family was told by Superintendent Stewart that multiple students reported that Jocelynn Carranza had said a family member had sexually assaulted her and had touched her inappropriately, but she told them to keep it a secret, not wanting to get the family member in trouble. However, no connection was made between this accusation and her suicide.