Abraham K. Biggs, 19, Commits Suicide Live on Webcam

Abraham K. Biggs, 19, committed suicide in front of a live webcam after being encouraged by people online. According to media reports, the Florida teenager, who went by the screen names "CandyJunkie" and “Mr Biggs”, told users on a bodybuilding forum he would be committing suicide that night and invited them to watch the live video.

The forum moderators allegedly ignored the post – assuming it was a prank – while other users posted insults and even egged him on. The teen used the "lifecasting" website Justin.tv – designed to let users share the minutiae of their everyday lives – to stream footage from his bedroom.

Biggs was seen taking several pills before lying on the bed with his back to the camera. He didn't move, and users claim they realised it was serious a few hours later when they saw he wasn't breathing. Moderators then traced Biggs's location and informed authorities. The webcam was still streaming live footage of the teen's body as police entered the room. A laser-guided weapon was pointed at the body and an object was thrown at the bed. Authorities then appeared on the video as they approached the teen's body, checked for a pulse, and covered up the webcam.

Justin.tv chief executive officer Michael Seibel told online video news website NewTeeVee.com the service relied on users to report inappropriate content.

"As for the broadcaster incident last night, we don’t comment on individual videos, however, our policy prohibits inappropriate content on Justin.tv," he said. "We rely on the community to flag videos that they feel are objectionable. Once a video is flagged, it is reviewed and quickly removed from the system if it violates our Terms of Use."

When the drama unfolded, according to News.com.au, some forum users allegedly began deleting their posts after the incident and an official thread – including Biggs' full name – was posted by moderators. This is truly a sad turn of events.

The teen described himself as a "good hearted guy" on his social networking profile. "I care a lot about my friends and my family and I would do almost anything for them," he said. "I am very goal oriented, I know what I want to do with my life and I am working towards it."

Biggs last posted on MySpace three days before he committed suicide in a wall post about taking sleeping pills. A week ago he left a message about closing a chapter in his life and apologized to his friends for his behavior. Biggs, who had reportedly been discussing his suicide on the forums, also posted a suicide note on a bodybuilding forum, which has since been taken down, in which he wrote "I hate myself and I hate living." "I have let everyone down and I feel as though I will never change or never improve," Biggs apparently wrote in the posting. "I am in love with a girl and I know that I am not good enough for her. I have come to believe that my life has all been meaningless. I keep trying and I keep failing. I have thought about and attempted suicide many times in the past."

I have always believed that when someone threatens to commit suicide, they usually will at some point. It is unconscionable that the forum users who egged him on did so and failed to see the gravity of the situation. This young man was obviously crying out for help and he was left to his own vices. That is a shame. He was obviously wrestling with some serious psychological issues. We cannot continue to ignore people when they are crying out for help.