A 12years old boy kills himself after 'he was bullied for being a cheerleader'

*.Ronin Shimizu took his life on Wednesday afternoon

*.Friends say the boy had been bullied for being the school's only male cheerleader; he recently left to be home schooled

*.District officials confirmed that his parents had gone to the school with multiple complaints but said that they had been dealt with.


Tragedy: Ronin Shimizu, 12, took his life on Wednesday after friends say he was bullied for being the only male cheerleader on his middle school's team (right). His parents had previously complained to the school.

A 12-year-old boy has killed himself after schoolmates bullied him for being a cheerleader, according to friends.

Ronin Shimizu, a former student at Folsom Middle School in Folsom, California, took his life on Wednesday afternoon but police are not releasing any further details about his death.

The school district has confirmed that the boy's parents, who also have a younger son, complained on multiple occasions that he was being bullied and officials said that they followed protocol.

But friends say that the taunting continued. He recently left Folsom Middle School to be home schooled.

On Thursday night, friends and their parents gathered outside the Shimizu home to hold a quiet candle light vigil.

'I heard that people called him gay because he was a cheerleader,' one of his teammates told CBS Sacramento at the vigil.
Ronin was the only male cheerleader with the Vista Junior Eagles Cheer Team.