Urgent TikTok suicide video warning - NI school and Ineqe Safeguarding Group issue alert to parents about distressing Facebook Live clip

The video emerged towards the end of August when 32 year-old US army veteran Ronnie McNutt used Facebook Live to broadcast his suicide live on the internet.

Facebook removed the video but it is now being shared on other social media platforms including TikTok.

“It will likely distress anyone who watches it, particularly children and young people,” said the Belfast based Ineqe Group.

“If a young person is aware of the video, you should explain the benefit of staying offline for a few hours until the event passes.”

Ineqe Group added: “We understand that the video may be particularly harmful to young people with existing mental health difficulties.”

The warning has been shared on social media by several schools in Northern Ireland including Wallace High School in Lisburn.

“On Sunday night, clips of a suicide that had originally been live-streamed on Facebook circulated on other platforms, including TikTok,” a TikTok spokesperson said.

“Our systems, together with our moderation teams, have been detecting and blocking these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide.

“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.”

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 or visit their website lifelinehelpline.info or contact the Samaritans on 116 123 (UK) or visit their website samaritans.org