10-Year-Old North Carolina Girl Hangs Herself After Allegedly Being Bullied at School

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North Carolina authorities are investigating the death of a 10-year-old girl who hanged herself in her bedroom after allegedly being bullied at school.

Samantha West, of Chadbourn, N.C., said she found her daughter, Jasmine McClain, dead in her bedroom Monday night, WRAL-TV reports.

"I just lost it because she took her last breath in my arms," West told the station on Wednesday. "She was a loving child. I just don't understand."

Chadbourn Police Chief Steven Shaw said her death was obviously suicide; he was about to close the case when he started checking Facebook posts and other social media about Jasmine and her death, according to the station.

"Children started coming forward and making accusations that she was bullied -- and bullied bad -- in school," Shaw said.

Jasmine was repeatedly picked on at Chadbourn Elementary School, West said, noting that other children teased her about her clothes or her shoes. She left the school for a while and dreaded having to return about a month ago, her mother said.

"It's a shame that kids are that cruel. It really is," West said, noting that she never knew how badly Jasmine had been tormented.

"Everyone that we have spoken to, there are little indicators -- not huge indications -- but small indications that she was not happy," Shaw said.

For more on the death of Jasmine McClain, see WRAL.com.