First Live Suicide Broadcast Over Internet

It had to happen. Someone, somewhere was bound to do it. Then it happened.

The mother of the teenage suicide victim wrote on MySpace, ''My son, Abraham Biggs Jr, was well-loved and cared for. However, the mental illness of bipolarity and depression got the better part of him."

Though many online knew of the boy's intentions after he posted the announcement of his suicide on his blog, no one did anything in an attempt to stop him, and in fact even spurred the boy on, ridiculing him for having "cried wolf" before, so they didn't believe he was serious this time either.

It is a sad story, made even more sad by the very public nature of the suicide, broadcast live around the world. How many people saw the suicide live, no one knows of course, but you can be certain the people that were taunting him were probably watching, waiting to hurl more hate the boy's way when, as they believe he would do-- simply change his mind, and cause himself no harm.

If I had known of this boy's intentions, or-- stated intentions, I don't know what I would have done.

On the one hand, as a rational human being, simple instinct would probably trigger the "I'd better do something" response. Then again, if you were aware this boy had declare the same thing many times before, how seriously would you take another threat?

I just don't know what I would do, were I faced with such circumstances. My guess is I would blow it off, perhaps even become one of the hecklers, if I knew the kid had threatened to do the same things many times in the past.

But if I had no past knowledge, or history of behavior for the person in question, if it was my first contact with such a situation, I think I would probably call the police in the area where the would-be suicide victim lived.

I just can't say for sure what I would do; can you?