Gloria Bambo, a 20-year-old South African national living in McKinney, Texas, was found hanging in her white roommate’s garage, reportedly on July 12. Police say they believe she committed suicide.
McKinney was found by her 19-year-old male roommate. In a statement posted by the McKinney Police Department on July 22, police said the roommate has been cooperative throughout the investigation.
“All evidence in the case so far leads investigators to believe it was a suicide,” the statement said. The post also said the medical examiner’s findings are consistent with death by suicide.
However, social media users have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Bambo’s death.
Social media user Jamilla Arnold posted details about the incident on Facebook, although her claims have not been verified. In the post she alleges: “Gloria went missing Thursday and supposedly died in that garage the same day July 9. Gloria’s body was in that garage 3 days, where people resided, and repairs were made. No one has heard anything about this Why? We need to know what happened to Gloria.”
On Twitter, others posted about Gloria’s death, asking for answers.
The statement by the McKinney Police Department also said one of the reasons why they took to Facebook to speak on the case, was to “clarify some inaccuracies,” after social media users “speculated” about Bambo’s death.
Including Bambo, at least five Black people have been found hanging across the country since May 31. Malcolm Harsch, a 38-year-old Black man, was the first death of the recent string of hangings, and was found hanging from a tree in Victorville, California. His family, along with investigators, have concluded that he died by suicide since video evidence surfaced. On June 16, a 17-year-old Black boy was found hanged on the grounds of an elementary school in a suburb of Houston, Texas. Authorities also ruled this case a suicide, with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office saying, in part, “Homicide investigators were able to review surveillance cameras & found no signs of foul play.”
Families of some of the victims, as well as the public, have expressed concern that some hangings may have resulted from foul play, with some speculating the victims may have been lynched.
The Collin County NAACP tweeted about Bambo’s death, saying: “We look forward to the family receiving the results of the autopsy, photos from the scene, statement from the roommate, and release of the handwriting analysis of the letter.” The NAACP chapter added that they will continue to seek justice.
It is unclear how many people lived in the home where Bambo was staying at the time of her death, and her roommate has not been publicly identified.
