The Cross Lanes, West Virginia sophomore returned home after a gym session on November 6, enjoyed some tacos his mother had made, then went outside to shoot some hoops. At 4:37 p.m., he received a text from an unknown number.
“They say it’s suicide, but to me, this is absolutely murder,” stated Bryce’s father, Adam Tate. “In my opinion, those responsible are nothing short of monstrous; worse than cowards.”
“They pretended to be local 17-year-old girls. They knew where he worked out, his friends’ names, and that he played basketball at Nitro High School,” said Adam. “They earned his trust, making him believe this was someone local.”
Authorities stress that dismantling these harmful networks is critical and that many parents are unaware of the risks that exist online.
