Gainesville Mourns 11-Year-Old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza After Tragic Death Linked to Bullying

The community of Gainesville, Texas, is mourning the loss of 11-year-old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, who died by suicide on February 8 after reportedly being bullied over her family’s immigration status. According to her mother, Marbella Carranza, Jocelynn faced relentless taunting at school, including threats that her parents would be taken away. Carranza believes school officials knew about the bullying but never informed her, despite Jocelynn visiting the school counselor weekly.

Gainesville Independent School District released a statement saying it takes all reports of bullying seriously, though it did not confirm knowledge of Jocelynn’s case, citing student privacy laws.