Jose Zamora, Santa Clara, California teen boy kills self after being bullied ongoing at school for being homeless. Boy and his father had been evicted earlier this year and had been living at a shelter.
A California teenage boy killed himself after being relentlessly bullied for being homeless, his South Bay area father said.
Jose Emiliano Zamora, 14, died by suicide last week just three months after starting at Santa Clara High, CA.
The boys father, Jose Bautista is now in mourning and searching for justice.
‘They were spitting on him, hitting him on the back of the helmet,’
‘He was trying to make me happy,’ the boy’s father told KTVU. ‘He was trying to be a better child.’
Jose died by suicide last Tuesday.
The boy’s dad said his son’s death was the result of an ongoing bullying campaign by his classmates.
The teen, who played junior varsity football for the school, had been living at the Bill Wilson Center shelter since he and his dad were evicted from their apartment earlier year.
‘They were spitting on him, hitting him on the back of the helmet,’ Bautista told Fox4.
Bautista said after his son was found dead, he heard from other students that his son’s teammates bullied him for being homeless and having no mother.
Zamora was receiving mental health treatment at the shelter, according to the parent.
He said the two had been reconnecting in recent months and he had hoped to find a new place for them for the holidays.
‘We were bonding more. He was waiting for a place to live instead of the shelter,’ Bautista said.
Boy’s father demands justice for bullied teen pushed to suicide
The boy’s father is now questioning if the school district is holding those suspected of bullying his son accountable.
Police and the local school district are now investigating Zamora’s death.
‘Administrators have already taken initial actions in response,’ School Superintendent Gary Waddell said in a written statement.
‘We in no way condone bullying, harassment, or retribution of any kind and take any such allegations seriously.
‘We strive to provide as many facts as possible to the community while preserving our duty to protect the privacy and confidentiality of both students and families.’
Bautista said he wants others to know what happened.
‘I miss hearing him, seeing him. I miss picking him up,’ Bautista told FOX4.
‘It’s kind of hard,’ he said. ‘I just don’t want this to happen to other people like it happened to me.’
‘Our community grieves the profound loss of one of our young souls. At only 14 years old, Jose Emiliano Zamora was a beloved child, friend and bright light in the lives of many,’ Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmore told the outlet.
‘Despite difficult circumstances since birth, Jose touched so many with his kindness, spirit and potential.
‘Described as so full of love and so ambitious to be the best at everything he could possibly do, his young life was cut too short.
‘To Jose Emiliano Zamora’s family, our hearts break alongside yours, and we are here for you in every way we can be.’
A fundraiser has since been initiated to help with funeral costs. As of Tuesday afternoon, $37,365 had been raised of a $40K goal.
If you or someone you know if thinking of suicide, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988.
