The Internet was shocked when TikTok star Ronnie McNutt killed himself and live-streamed the incident on Facebook while sitting in front of a desk at his house in Mississippi on August 31, 2020. The video of his suicide went viral and left his family and friends, and fans devastated.
Who was Ronnie McNutt?
Born on May 23, 1987, Ronald “Ronnie” McNutt was an Army Reserve veteran who lived in the US city of New Albany, Mississippi, where he worked at a Toyota plant and was involved in the local theatre scene co-hosted a podcast called JustUs Geeks.
The bearded and bespectacled autoworker regularly attended Celebration Church in Tupelo, was a member of a Comicons club, and wrote comic book reviews for a website.
Friend and podcast co-host Joshua Steen said Mr. McNutt struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in the Iraq War between June 2007 and March 2008.
Mr. Steen told Heavy: “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.
What Happened On The Live Stream?
Sitting behind a desk and wearing a black shirt, Mr. McNutt fatally shot himself during a live stream on Facebook just after 10.30 pm local time on August 31.
He started the broadcast at about 9 pm local time. Viewers began alerting family and friends as he appeared sad and very drunk and made worrying comments about taking his own life.
Mr. Steen said he doesn’t believe his friend intended to take his own life when he began the stream.
About 40 minutes into the broadcast, at around 10 pm, Mr. McNutt picked up a rifle that misfired.
Mr. Steen told Snopes it was a had a “cheap, run-of-the-mill, single-shot rifle” – not a shotgun, as claimed on social media.
That was when Mr. Steen, through a podcast listener, found out that his friend needed immediate help.
Mr. Steen watched the live video as Mr. McNutt declined his phone calls and ignored commenters’ pleas to get help.
By then, the stream had been reported to Facebook to get it pulled down, but the video stayed online for almost two hours after the suicide.
Mr. McNutt was inundated with phone calls and messages from concerned family members, friends, and strangers when he was still alive. Still, he continued to ramble, spar with people trying to intervene and make worrying comments.
Mr. Steen said: “He’s drunk, and the gun is already there, and all these people had already gotten him riled up on Facebook”
Facebook Didn’t Block The Live Stream
Mr. Steen claims Facebook didn’t do enough to prevent the video from streaming online or remove offending content about death in the days afterward.
He and several other users reported the nearly two-hour live stream while Mr. McNutt was still alive, hoping to get it removed as they tried to stop him from harming himself.
But it continued, and Facebook had confirmed the graphic video of the death was up for two hours and 41 minutes before it was removed.
After reporting the stream, Mr. Steen said he received a reply from Facebook about 90 minutes after Mr. McNutt died, stating: “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.“
In an interview with Heavy, Mr. Steen claimed, “Facebook could’ve stopped this and didn’t”. In his opinion, the social media giant is “directly responsible” for the video being shared online and going viral.
A spokesman for Facebook, which also owns Instagram, 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.“
Ronnie Mcnutt Health Issues
Friend and podcast co-host Joshua Steen said Mr. McNutt struggled with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving in the Iraq War between June 2007 and March 2008.
Mr. Steen told Heavy: “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.
“Mental health issues are very, very real, and I honestly think that there are a lot of people who struggle with all areas of mental illness who let it go untreated. Or treat it with other things, it seems.“
Rolling Stone magazine reported that he was described as “caring” and “loyal”, Mr. McNutt and his girlfriend had split up recently.
Just over two weeks before his death, he marked what would have been the 69th birthday of his father and namesake, Cecil Ronald “Ronnie” McNutt, who died in hospital in February 2018.
Mr. McNutt posted a family photo on Facebook on August 14, writing: “Today would have been dad’s 69th birthday. He was a powerhouse of a man. And I miss him every day. Our family just isn’t complete without him.“
They are now buried in the same cemetery.
According to an obituary, the younger Ronnie is survived by his mum Elaine, brother Joey, sister Mindy, three nieces and two nephews.
Mr. McNutt shared a tragic final Facebook post before he began the broadcast. It stated: “Someone in your life needs to hear that they matter and that they are loved.
“That they have a future. Be the one to tell them.”
Mr. Steen said reports that Mr. McNutt had lost his job was about to lose his home or had his identity stolen were not true. “These are blatant lies, stop spreading them,” he tweeted.
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