The parents of a 10-year-old girl who tragically died by suicide have opened up about the heartbreaking changes they noticed in her before her passing.
In the weeks leading up to the March 21 tragedy, Autumn Bushman, a fourth-grade student at Mountain View Elementary School in Roanoke, had begun showing clear signs of emotional distress.
Before her untimely death, her parents, Mark and Summer Bushman, said they noticed devastating changes in their daughter’s behavior.
“She was the youngest and probably the most free-spirited,” her mother, Summer, said. “She was like a ball of energy. It didn’t matter if it looked like she was going to crash through the living room floor—she was always doing cartwheels inside the house.”
But in the weeks before the tragedy, that vibrant spark in her began to fade.
The couple told WDBJ that their daughter started sleeping more than usual, smiling less, and dressing in darker clothes—small but alarming shifts that worried them deeply.
They also said that despite having reached out to the school to report bullying, the harassment continued.
Autumn’s mother explained that her daughter was targeted for standing up for other children who were being bullied.
“She was the kind of kid who, if someone was being picked on or bullied, she would step in to defend them. And sadly, that might have made her more of a target,” Summer Bushman shared.
The Bushmans said school officials had told them that the situation was being handled. But according to their daughter, things didn’t improve.
“But from what we know—at least from what our daughter told us—it just kept happening,” her father, Mark, said.
He added that the bullying extended beyond school grounds.
“This is the age when kids have tablets and phones, so it’s happening 24/7. There’s really no escape,” he said.
According to the Daily Mail, the school released a statement saying they are actively investigating the events that led up to Autumn’s death.
“While we cannot comment on the details of this case due to federal privacy laws and out of respect for the family, we are conducting a thorough review,” the statement read. “Our schools take all reports of bullying and student conflict very seriously.”
The tragedy has deeply shocked friends, family, and the entire Roanoke community.
Cher Nelson Johnson, a close family friend, posted a video montage of Autumn’s short life along with a moving tribute.
“This is just heartbreaking,” she wrote. “This is a photo of a sweet, loving young soul who took her own life today because of bullying. A beautiful girl from Roanoke is gone too soon.”
“If you can, please keep Summer Bushman and her family in your thoughts as they grieve the devastating loss of their 10-year-old daughter, Autumn Brooke Bushman…”
“Check in with your loved ones. Talk to your children about bullying. It has to stop.”
To honor Autumn’s memory and raise awareness about the severe impact bullying can have on young lives, her family has invited the public to attend her visitation and funeral services this weekend.