Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

15-Year-Old Who Jumped Off UWS Roof Wrote Suicidal Facebook Posts Before Death


By

Rebecca Fishbein

Published Feb 14, 2014

Modified Feb 14, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Via Facebook

 


By

Rebecca Fishbein

Published Feb 14, 2014

Modified Feb 14, 2014


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

The 15-year-old girl who tragically jumped to her death off an UWS apartment building yesterday had a history of psychological problems and made suicidal threats on Facebook just days before she died, according to reports.

Jayah Ram Jackson, 15, died after leaping off the roof of her grandmother's 27-story building yesterday morning; on Tuesday, she left a troubling post on her since-deactivated Facebook wall. "I'm actually just going to wait for someone to make a petition for me to kill myself because it's inevitable,,, like, we all see it coming," she reportedly wrote. Other wall posts included messages like, "People keep telling me to kill myself all the time. Eyewitnesses never care. Yet I'm still alive eyyy lmao," and "'Petition for Jayah to either get prettier, smarter, or dead.' wow thanks"

Jayah, a student at the Lower East Side's NEST+m school for gifted children, also reportedly posted suicidal messages on online forums and social media sites. "It's been 6 months since I've cut my arms, and because it's been so long I have been considering suicide a lot more frequently," she recently posted on Japanese website 'Hatena.' She also claimed she was being cyberbullied, and referenced taking medication for depression.

In a statement to the Daily News, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña offered a few words of comfort. “Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare, and I cannot imagine the grief that Jayah's family must be going through,” she said.

If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone, remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt, and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.

Tagged

jayah ram jackson

suicide

teen suicide

Upper West Side

uws


Rebecca Fishbein

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Gatorade recall affects drinks sold in New York and New Jersey

More than 122,000 cases are being recalled over undeclared food dyes.

By

Giulia Heyward

Published Oct 5, 2026 at 4:36 p.m. ET


Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’

The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.

By

Caroline Lewis

News

Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’

The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.

By

Caroline Lewis


NYPD detective forced to retire after false statements in Brooklyn investigation

By

Charles Lane

Mamdani faces pressure to forge ahead with plan to fix polluting South Bronx market

By

Elizabeth Kim

Dominican man who shot border patrol officer in NYC sentenced to 15 years in prison

By

Samantha Max


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .