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SI Teen Dies After Stepping In Front Of Bus, Relative Says She Was Bullied
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 3, 2012
Modified Jan 3, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 3, 2012
Modified Jan 3, 2012
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Two days after Christmas, a 15-year-old apparently jumped in front of a city bus on Staten Island. Yesterday, Amanda Cummings succumbed to her injuries and passed away, and now her uncle is blaming classmates. Keith Cummings told the Staten Island Advance, "I'm not going to tolerate this. I'm gonna go full force. Kids can't do this to each other."
A witness told police that Cummings jumped into the bus on Hyland Boulevard near Hunter Avenue and police say that Cummings was carrying a suicide note. However, her family is referring to it as an "accident," and apparently she was being tormented at New Dorp High School. Keith Cummings said that other students took her phone, clothes and shoes.
Her Facebook status updates in recent weeks said things like "feeling depressed," "Worst sat nite evr i cnt believe this is happening what did i do to deserve this... mad people are turning against me :'( im spending this sat nitealone in my room crying" and on December 1, "I'll go kill myself." According to the Daily Mail, she posted on December 6, "When i say im ok i want that one person t look me in the eye, hug me & say no ur not" and on December 16, "gettin redy then im outa here. im off this."
Her family says she loved poetry and animals. Someone posted on her Facebook page on December 30, "Every person who made Amanda feel like the world turned its back on her, every person who made her feel hated, made her feel like she shouldn't be alive ... I hope this (expletive) haunts you. The fact that you are part of why she's in the condition that she's in. And all of you are saying you're here for her, but only after the damage is done. Here's a thought, be there before something happens that ...might not be able to be fixed. Im praying for you Amanda."
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amanda cummings
bullying
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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