When he was still alive, Mr McNutt was inundated with phone calls and messages from concerned family members, friends and strangers, but he continued to ramble, spar with people trying to intervene and make worrying comments. A close friend said Mr McNutt had struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving with the US Army in Iraq. [28][29], TikTok released a public statement saying, "Our systems have been automatically detecting and flagging these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide. Variants of the video appeared in TikTok's "For You" page, so that users would scroll upon it without warning as the suicide automatically played, with the apparent intention of frightening or upsetting viewers as a form of trolling. Mental health issues are very very real, and I honestly think that there are a lot of people who struggle with all areas of mental illness who let it go untreated. [23], The case sparked a debate over what legal liability is owed by internet platforms that fail to promptly remove graphic and disturbing footage from public view, with the blame generally being placed on Facebook for failing to cut off the livestream during the initial suicide attempt itself. Be the one to tell them.". What do you do? At the same time, the broader response online was one of sympathy towards McNutt, with users using the case as an opportunity to discuss mental health and suicide prevention. You matter. But it helped fuel the fire to help it spread," he added. [1] The case has raised awareness about both suicide prevention and what duty of care social media platforms owe to protect users and victim reputations online when it comes to graphic content. I watched him pick his phone up, think for a second, and then decline my calls. Mr Steen watched the live video as Mr McNutt declined his phone calls and ignored commenters' pleas to get help. I spent many a late night in our studio, via text message, and in person talking with him about life and his struggles. A member of SheKnows Media Entertainment. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: "I wish I can unsee the video but I cannot unfortunately I can't and unfortunately it's permanently in me and my daughter's minds she is so traumatized from the video she accidentally clicked on a link on Tik Tok.". The Ronnie McNutt death video controversy was a situation in which a 33-year-old Mississippi man, Ronald "Ronnie" Merle McNutt, shot himself in the head live on a streamed video, which went viral on social media platforms. That's apparently more offensive than my friend killing himself. Should apps do more to block distressing content? Well-known social media personalities such as gossip reporter Spill Sesh decided to publicly boycott TikTok until the suicide video was completely taken down, while other users began posting prayers and messages of respect and commemoration for McNutt in the comments sections of the video uploads. TikTok is struggling to remove a disturbing video of a man's suicide, three days after it was uploaded to the app.. The #ronniemcnutt hashtag had 15.6 million views on TikTok only days after the actual suicide itself had taken place. At the time of his death on August 31, McNutt worked at a . Police Chief Chris Robertson reported that his officers had secured the perimeter and evacuated nearby residents before attempting to communicate with McNutt via speakerphone, to no avail. Some parents have vowed to keep their children off social media until companies take steps to prevent such videos from appearing on their platforms. According to reports, McNuttwho was employed by Toyota in Blue Spring, New Albanyhad recently broken up with his girlfriend and also suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). He gave few other details. TikTok scrambled earlier this month to remove clips of the man shooting himself with a gun . Updated 21:08, 29 SEP 2020. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, , Senior Digital Technology and Science Reporter, Video of US man Ronnie McNutt committing suicide went viral on TikTok earlier this month, Ronnie McNutt, 33, killed himself during a stream to Facebook Live on August 31, TikTok scrambled to take down the horrific clip as it spread like wildfire across its platform, Trump gives TikTok Oracle deal his 'blessing' after threatening to ban downloads. Ronnie McNutt had an estimated net worth of $20,000 as at the time of his death. 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Ronnie McNutt's loved ones watched in horror as he shot himself during the broadcast as they tried to help him. . as people are sharing clips of McNutt's suicide on the social media platform: Stop sharing and sending s*** like this for fun, its sick and its traumatizing. "What we saw was a group of users who were repeatedly attempting to upload the video to our platform.". . Ronnie McNutt, 33, recorded his execution while at home working in front of a desk and posted it broadcast on Facebook. A man killed himself?? A spokesman for Facebook, which also owns Instagram, said: "We removed the original video from Facebook last month on the day it was streamed and have used automation technology to remove copies and uploads since that time. In some cases, the most gruesome part of the video was hidden inside more innocuous looking TikToks. A Twitter user told how her 10-year-old "traumatised" sister "woke up out of her sleep crying" and begged people to stop posting the video online. Video platform TikTok was slow to respond to the video, which had appeared in many user feeds and constant re-uploads, leading to many users choosing to boycott the platform. They are now buried in the same cemetery. Video of the suicide is still being reposted on social media and some clips have remained online for days, said Mr Steen, who has led the criticism of Facebook for failing to delete the live stream while Mr McNutt was still alive. A spokesperson for TikTok released a statement saying: On Sunday night, clips of a suicide that had been livestreamed on Facebook circulated on other platforms, including TikTok. The ronnie mcnutt music meme sound belongs to the music. on his phone. Young children are being tricked into watching extremely graphic video of Ronnie McNutt's suicide, leaving some with nightmares. He shared a screen grab of a reply from Facebook, which states: This post will remain on Facebook because we only remove content that goes against our Community Standards. Writing on Facebook, one said: "So horrible fly high Ronnie. Another added: "My pre-teen son just showed me the Ronnie mcnutt video on YouTube. Sitting behind a desk and wearing a black shirt, Mr McNutt fatally shot himself during a live stream on Facebook just after 10.30pm local time on August 31. There are unconfirmed reports that he had lost his job and broken up with his girlfriend. The video starts out with Ronnie answering the phone, angrily telling the person on the other end: Yeah, you wanna talk to me now? "My daughter was in a state of shock, still is in a state of shock and this could stay with her for months.". [7] The video was extremely gory in nature, and identified McNutt by his full legal name. Described as "caring" and "loyal", Mr McNutt and his girlfriend had split up recently, Rolling Stone magazine reported. Viewers knew what to expect from the churchgoing autoworker, so when he began a live broadcast on the night of August 31 it was clear early on that something wasn't right. The campaign calls on social media networks to accept responsibility for "all content created, posted, and distributed" on their platforms, adding: "You must immediately stop passing the blame on to the users when content you distribute actively harms them. An Explanation of the Viral "Cursed" Video", "California Man Live-Streamed Suicide After Alleged Axe Attack On Girlfriend", "Chinese Influencer Dies After Netizens Encourage Her To Drink Pesticide During Live Stream", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Suicide_of_Ronnie_McNutt&oldid=1142735275, 1987: Politician and state treasurer of Pennsylvania, 2010: A 21-year-old man named Marcus Jannes from. Life and career. He said Mr McNutt, who would often host a live stream in which he "rambled", declined the calls and continued talking. He was a powerhouse of a man. Mr McNutt and his girlfriend had split up recently, Rolling Stone magazine reported, and he was "incredibly drunk" when he took his own life, said friend Joshua Steen. Rather than him and his family??? A screenshot shows posts sent from hoax social media accounts set up in McNutt's name Credit: Facebook. Social media giants have been criticised for failing to block it sooner. Is anyone elses FYP full of videos warning people on TikTok of a graphic video going around? . 2016: Ocane Ebem, an 18-year-old woman from, 2016: Katelyn Nicole Davis, a 12-year-old girl from. Amid calls for social media reform, it has also cast a spotlight on Mr McNutt's life and struggles in the days and years leading up to his suicide. A TikTok spokesperson said: "On Sunday night, clips of a suicide that had been livestreamed on Facebook circulated on other platforms, including TikTok. It was then shared on other platforms and quickly went viral. I really thought that if I could just get him to break his focus for just a second it would be alright. Ronnie McNutt, who worked at a Toyota plant in Blue Springs, New Albany, killed himself in front of his computer on Aug. 31 during a livestream on Facebook, the Daily Star reported. Josh Steen had called Facebook multiple times, and had called the police, neither of which stopped the stream until McNutt had already committed suicide. The #ronniemcnutt hashtag had 15.6 million views on TikTok within the first few days after the suicide. Josh Steen, a friend and co-host of a podcast with McNutt, told Heavy: He didnt seem to be the same guy that left for Iraq once he exited the service. McNutt broadcasted his death on Facebook Live on August 31 and the footage has since found . The tragedy has led to criticism of Facebook and other social media firms for failing to block the footage, which wasn't taken down for more than two hours, allowing it to recirculate on Instagram, TikTok and other sites where kids were being tricked into watching the video. "Let me be clear: I am not saying the internet or social media should be censored. Have you been affected by the incident? Its nothing but pressure.. He suffered from PTSD after his military serv. Broadcast network was still 4 hours after precedent. Social media sites are still scrambling to remove clips of the incident more than a week on from his death on August 31. I was watching it trying to figure out what was going on then I called our friend to get his address and he freaking shot himself in the head. Ronnie was described by friends and . A pet dog owned by McNutt's friend wandered into frame shortly after the gunshot. Mr Steen said reports that Mr McNutt had lost his job, was about to lose his home or had his identity stolen were not true. [6], On August 31, 2020, McNutt set up his computer's webcam and sat in front of it, holding a gun while intoxicated after drinking alcohol. Normalscreen. He claims he didn't receive a response from Facebook until about 90 minutes after Mr McNutt died. [20][21] Institute of Mums circulated further warnings for parents about seemingly benign video content hiding the McNutt video, stating, "Alarmingly, there are also reports of the video being sandwiched in the middle of cute and funny cat videos, which begin with viewer-friendly footage before quickly changing to the disturbing suicide. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. We appreciate our community members who've reported content and warned others against watching, engaging or sharing such videos on any platform, out of respect for the person and their family." I havent seen it on TikTok, but Im seeing a flood of these types of warning videos. And y'all are interested in the dog??? Police Chief Chris Robertson, who was among those at the scene, told Snopes that officers were watching the stream, which had a 10-second delay, and one of Mr McNutt's friends was with them and sending their pleas to him. In the days since, the horrific clip has been reuploaded to various social media platforms including TikTok, a video-sharing app that is hugely . The case became notable for both the callous attitude expressed towards McNutt's death by some internet users, as well as Facebook's slow response to the video, which had been shared to numerous other platforms and amassed a large view count before finally being taken down. Facebook's live stream of 33-year-old US veteran Ronnie McNutt on August 31 was initially deemed not to breach the global corporation's standards. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. This is the suicide of Ronnie McNutt, which has been posted on many platforms including non gore platforms like YouTube and TikTok. McNutt was a Christian who regularly attended church. 'We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and we appreciate our community members who've reported . There are reports that the video appeared on TikTok's "For You . In this category you have all sound effects, voices and sound clips to play, download and share. It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. The company found evidence of a "coordinated attack" when it investigated why the video was suddenly appearing on the popular short-video sharing app, a TikTok executive told a British parliamentary committee Tuesday. I happened to the last min get on FB before I went to sleep and I saw it. . Ronald Merle McNutt (May 23, 1987 - August 31, 2020) was a resident of New Albany, Mississippi in the United States, and had served in the United States military in Iraq.McNutt worked at a Toyota plant. Disturbing video footage of a man who filmed his own suicide has gone viral on social media, especially TikTok. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The New Albany Police Department was alerted about a man with a gun threatening to take his own life on a Facebook live stream, and officers were sent to Mr McNutt's flat. The mum said: "She was in such a state, shaking like a leaf and properly sobbing. Ronnie McNutt, 33, was an American living in Mississippi who shot himself at his home in front of a desk on August 31.