Mom’s Heartbreaking Warning After 10-Year-Old Daughter’s Suicide ‘Check Their Phones Before It’s Too Late’

A Virginia mother is speaking out after the unimaginable loss of her 10-year-old daughter, Autumn Bushman, who tragically died by suicide earlier this year. Her message to parents everywhere is simple — and haunting: “Check your kids’ phones.”

Autumn, a bright and loving fifth grader from Roanoke, Virginia, died on March 21. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, her death was ruled a suicide.

Her mother, Summer Bushman, told CBS News that she now deeply regrets giving Autumn a smartphone too early — especially allowing her to use it at night.

“She deserved to live life, and I’ll never see her go to a homecoming or prom,” Summer said tearfully. “I’ll never see her in a wedding dress, and that’s really difficult.”

A Child Who Couldn’t Escape the Bullying

Autumn was a student at Mountain View Elementary School, where, according to her family, she had been bullied for months.

“They said they had handled it, and that was about as far as it went,” said her father, Mark Bushman, in an interview with WSLS. “But our daughter told us it kept happening. This is an age where kids have tablets and phones — it’s happening around the clock. They can’t really escape.”

Summer recalled her daughter’s final days vividly.

“She came to me crying and said, ‘Mom, I’m really stressed out. I’m being bullied. Can I please stay home from school tomorrow?’”

Just hours later, Autumn was gone.

School and Police Response

Following her death, Roanoke County Public Schools released a statement expressing deep sadness, saying,

“This is a tragic loss, and we stand in support of the family, friends, and the Mountain View community.”

The school added that it was conducting a thorough review and takes “all reports of bullying and conflicts among students very seriously.”

Police confirmed that no criminal charges were filed after an investigation concluded that no evidence of criminal activity was found.

Phone Use and Late-Night Screen Time — A Dangerous Mix

As new details emerged, CBS News reported that Autumn had been on her phone just before she died in her bedroom. Her mother had tried several times to limit nighttime phone use, but Autumn insisted she needed it for her alarm.

“She fought back and said, ‘Mom, I need my alarm,’” Summer recalled. “Every morning when I woke her up, the alarm was going off.”

A Virginia Tech study cited by CBS revealed a troubling connection between late-night screen use and suicide attempts among young people.

Researchers found that:

• Most overdoses and suicide attempts occurred late at night, often during or right after screen time.

• Easy access to medications at home — both prescription and over-the-counter — was a common factor.

• Late-night hours represent a period of heightened emotional vulnerability for children and teens.

Dr. Abhishek Reddy, a professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, told CBS that phones in bedrooms at night can be extremely dangerous, especially for children who are bullied or emotionally fragile.

“It’s pretty dangerous,” he said. “Parents should prohibit phones in bedrooms, ensure proper sleep routines, and limit access to medications.”

A Mother’s Plea to Parents Everywhere

In March, Summer Bushman shared a powerful message to other parents during her interview with WSLS:

“Go through your child’s phone to make sure they’re being kind to other children. And go through it to make sure other children are being kind to them.”

Autumn’s story has already touched countless families across the nation, inspiring difficult but necessary conversations about cyberbullying, mental health, and smartphone safety for children.

“She was only 10,” her mother said softly. “And I just want to make sure no other parent ever has to go through this.” 💔