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Honoring beloved Bay Area hockey player
Jordan Bowen reports
OLDSMAR, Fla. - It's now been one year since 16-year-old McKenna Brown took her own life.
She was a goalie on the ice, but in the hours before her death, her parents say she became the victim of a severe cyber-bullying campaign by teammates to cancel her and leave her without any friends.
A bench now sits outside Tampa Bay Skating Academy in memory of McKenna.
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"We call her a unicorn, because she was so unique. She was full of energy and passion," McKenna's mom Cheryl Brown said.
The bright yellow bench serves as a reminder for those struggling to reach out for help. Hours before McKenna took her own life back on August 7, 2022, her mom says she was the victim of severe cyber-bullying.
The text messages read in part, "You've done all of us so wrong" and "I hope I never see you again."
The messages were sent to McKenna by a teammate who Cheryl says was upset about a boy McKenna was talking to. They also learned in speaking with McKenna's friends that she was sexually assaulted by a teammate's older brother when she was 13 years old.
"The detective from the crimes against children's division said that the party that had raped McKenna and sexually assaulted McKenna said that it was consensual," she said.
But, McKenna's dad Hunter Brown says at the time McKenna confided in friends through text messages that it wasn't consensual.
"He said that the text that the friends shared with other friends that said that McKenna had been sexually assaulted were benign in nature, that the girls that had come forward and shared the text and had nothing to contribute to the investigation, and that McKenna was a sad and depressed girl who took her own life," Hunter said.
In October 2022, three players involved in crafting the text messages were suspended by the Lightning High School Hockey League, but reinstated in January after the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office closed their investigation and refused to file any charges.
"It made me very concerned that a detective with the Division of Crimes Against Children could come to those conclusions," Hunter said.
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McKenna's parents feel the sexual assault and instances of cyber-bullying pushed McKenna to make an irrational and impulsive split second decision in the midst of a weak moment – something they don't feel the report accurately reflects.
"Words hurt. People need to watch what they say. Whether it's spoken or over social media. Words can kill," Cheryl said.
Her parents say she had a dream of playing college hockey for USF, which just started a women's hockey team. Tampa Bay Skating Academy where McKenna grew up playing hockey is working on putting up a permanent banner above the ice in her memory.
As for the investigations, the Browns say while there may not be enough to warrant any criminal charges they still want the report to be re-written to better reflect what they feel happened.
If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to civilians and veterans. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.