RONNIE Mcnu*tt's tragic last Facebook post shared just minutes before he began live-streaming his suicide was about "needing to know you're loved."
Harrowing footage ofthe US army veteran'sfinal momentshave gone viral on social media after the 33-year-old fromMississippikilled himself at home on August 31.
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Facebook has also been blasted for refusing to take down the distraught content for two hours - because it didn't break the website's guidelines.
However, Mcnu*tt's final post on the social media site shows his final attempt to cry for help.
He shared an image with the words: "Someone in your life needs to hear that they matter.
"That they are loved.
"That they have a future.
"Be the one to tell them."
Ronnie's friend Josh Steen said "Facebook could've stopped this and didn't", claiming thatthe social media giantis "directly responsible" for the video being shared.
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"Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social platforms could ban accounts, IPs, and stop the spread of this video.
"YouTube can flag you for using two seconds of a copyrighted song, but can’t seem to filter out my friend ending his life. It does not make sense," Mr Steen toldHeavy.
The video of his suicide has now gone viral on TikTok - where children as young as 13 are exposed to the shocking footage.
TikTok said it is actively working to block the spread of the video on its app.
Mr Steen said Ronnie suffered from PTSD after serving with the US Army in Iraq.
"He didn’t seem to be the same guy that left for Iraq once he exited the service. I spent many a late night in our studio, via text message, and in person talking with him about life and his struggles," he said.
You're not alone
Here's where to go for support
ON AVERAGE, 123 people a day die by suicide in America.
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.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is whyThe Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
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.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others...You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
Mr Steen said he has watched the whole video, and believes that his friend did not mean to kill himself.
He said Ronnie often went live on Facebook to "ramble" - but in the video he was "incredibly drunk, and that plus his recent relationship issues led to the end result".
The video was first reported to Facebook while Ronnie was still alive but Mr Steen said he had "no response from Facebook".
He claimed cops had been called and were standing outside Ronnie's house while watching the live stream.
Mr Steen said he didn't receive a message back from Facebook until 11.51pm - around 90 minutes after Ronnie died.
Facebook allegedly said they would not be removing the video, writing: "This post will remain on Facebook because we only remove content that goes against our Community Standards. Our standards don’t allow things that encourage suicide or self-injury."
It wasn't until 1.30am that the video was removed, Mr Steen claims.
Vile trolls have now set up a fake account, claiming to be Ronnie Mcnu*tt, saying that he FAKED the suicide.
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The hoax account said: "I faked my death beacause life f*cking sucks you know, I wanted to go away and I actually edited the video and made it into a live."
A Facebook spokesman 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."
"Our thoughts remain with Ronnie's family and friends during this difficult time."
Friends have spoken of their horror after Mr Mcnu*tt's tragic death.
One said: “Please say a prayer right now for the family of Ronnie Mcnu*tt.
"He just killed himself live on Facebook and I cannot unsee this.
"I tried but apparently it wasn’t quick enough to reach him.
"I wasn’t quick enough.
"Dear God, I wish I could have got to him.”
Social media sites are still scrambling to remove clips of the incident more than a week on.
Bosses at TikTok are banning anyone who re-uploads it.
Many horrified app users say they saw the footage unintentionally, and have warned others to be wary.
A TikTok spokesperson said: "On Sunday night, clips of a suicide that had been livestreamed on Facebook circulated on other platforms, including TikTok.
"Our systems have been automatically detecting and flagging these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide.
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"We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and 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.
"If anyone in our community is struggling with thoughts of suicide or concerned about someone who is, we encourage them to seek support, and we provide access to hotlines directly from our app and in our Safety Centre."
Contact the Samaritans
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article contact The Samaritans on 116 123. They are available for free at anytime.
Or email https://www.samaritans.org/
