Photo: Facebook
She posted a Snapchat about suicide just before her death.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Feb 12, 2019
A teenager fell to her death from the top of a mall parking garage on Feb. 11, 2019. It appears that her death was a suicide, leaving her family and community stunned and grieving.
Police have identified 16-year old Hailey Nailor of Danbury, Connecticut as the victim. Before she jumped, she contemplated her death in a video she posted to social media. Her friends and family are reeling with shock and cannot specify a reason that she would have wanted to kill herself. Now police, her school, and her family are looking for answers, while her classmates are reacting to her death with a combination of kindness and cruelty.
So who is Hailey Nailor? Here's what we know.
1. She was a student.
At 16 years old, Hailey was a student at Danbury High School.
Friends there describe her as funny and selfless. She enjoyed writing rap lyrics and loved music and basketball. One friend remembered her as a “beautiful, intelligent, caring [and] loving” soul.
2. She had been treated for different mental disorders.
In the past, Hailey had been treated for mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. She had been hospitalized more than once for threatening herself or others with harm.
The day before her suicide, she had been treated and released from a local emergency room for threatening self-harm, though no more details are known due to privacy laws.
3. She posted a suicidal message on Snapchat prior to her death.
On Saturday afternoon, Hailey was on the top of a parking garage at the Danbury Mall, where she recorded a video contemplating jumping from the roof of the building. She uploaded the video to her Snapchat account, where other students from her school saw it.
Someone alerted police about the video and Hailey’s location and they dispatched an officer to go check on her.
4. She jumped before police arrived.
Before the police arrive on the scene, Hailey had jumped from the top of the parking garage. Police confirm that she did jump voluntarily and she was alone at the time of her death.
“She recorded herself contemplating if she should go through with it,” her friend, Luis Lopez, 18, told reporters. “She sadly did go through with it.”
5. People now believe she had been bullied.
The response to both Hailey’s video and her death has brought out horrific messages, allegedly from people who knew her. Her loved ones were shocked to see responses such as “Haha Rest in Peace bitch.” and “I AM SO F—KIN HAPPY YALL JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND.”
Now, teens from Danbury High are suggesting that Hailey had been bullied at school and that might have led to her suicide. A friend of Hailey’s wrote: “she never deserved what she went through or what got her to that point to make that decision. Many many people cared about her and are so devastated by this unbearable tragedy. She was a great friend to me and always had my back through everything as well to many others.”
6. The school has responded to the rumors of bullying.
The high school is quickly gathering resources to comfort grieving students and to address the rumors of bullying and identify if the harassing messages sent by Danbury High Students.
The principal is investigating the messages and the Superintendent of Schools posted a message to the community saying: “We strongly recommend that if your child has viewed the posting(s) to have a discussion with them. This is a difficult time for everyone involved. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”
7. Students wore black in memory of Hailey.
Students returned to school Monday, many of them wearing black in memory of Hailey. Grief counselors were on hand to talk to any students wishing to seek support. There are plans underway for a candlelight vigils so community members can come together in her honor.
The Nailor family has not released information about a formal funeral for their daughter at this time.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or needs emotional support, help is available 24/7 through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The lifeline is free, confidential and available any time by calling 1-800-273-8255 or by visiting www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a co-host of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.