Back to all incidents
Social MediacyberbullyingFatalityMinor

Adriana Kuch, 14, Dies by Suicide Days After Hallway Assault Video Goes Viral on TikTok with Mocking Comments

Feb 3, 2023
Berkeley Township, New Jersey, USA
Source

Incident Details

Harm Domain
Social Media
Harm Types
cyberbullying, suicide
Fatality
Yes
Minor Involved
Yes
Incident Date
Feb 1, 2023
Platforms: TikTok
Companies: ByteDance

Summary

Adriana Kuch, 14, of Berkeley Township, New Jersey died by suicide on February 3, 2023, days after a video of her being physically attacked in a hallway at Central Regional High School was uploaded to TikTok and went viral. The video attracted a wave of cruel comments. Four students were charged with assault and harassment. The school superintendent resigned. Her death became a national flashpoint on cyberbullying amplified by algorithmic virality on social media.

Related Incidents

Social Mediainvestment_fraud

International car sale scam tied to Buck County used fake images and websites: Police

Feb 18, 2026Lower Southampton Township, New Jersey, USA

A man in Lower Southampton Township, New Jersey, was defrauded of $34,000 in an international car sale scam. The suspect, identified as Ion Cojocaru, used fake websites and artificial intelligence-generated images to convince the victim he was purchasing a 1969 Camaro. Cojocaru, believed to be living in Romania, is still posting similar fraudulent listings on Facebook. Police have issued an arrest warrant, and Interpol is assisting with the case.

Platforms: Facebook
Social MediasextortionFatalityMinor

Murray Dowey, 16, Dies by Suicide in December 2023 After Instagram Sextortion; Parents Sue Meta in Delaware

Dec 18, 2025Dunblane, Scotland, United Kingdom

Murray Dowey, 16, of Dunblane, Scotland died by suicide in December 2023 after falling victim to a sextortion scheme on Instagram. Murray had joined Instagram at age 10, bypassing age filters. A stranger posing as a romantic interest solicited intimate images then threatened to share them unless he paid. His parents Rosalind and Mark Dowey joined a Delaware Superior Court lawsuit against Meta filed by the Social Media Victims Law Center. Internal Meta documents cited in the lawsuit showed the company had debated making teen accounts private by default for years but chose not to due to growth concerns. The suit alleged Instagram's recommendation algorithm actively connected teen users to predators.

Platforms: Instagram
Social Mediaphysical_injuryFatalityMinor

Alexander Neville, 14, Dies After Buying Fentanyl-Laced Pill from Snapchat Dealer

Aug 2, 2025Aliso Viejo, California, USA

14-year-old Alexander Neville died of fentanyl poisoning on June 23, 2020, in Aliso Viejo, California, after unknowingly ingesting fentanyl in a pill purchased from a dealer on Snapchat. His parents are the lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Snap Inc., Snapchat's parent company, alleging the platform is responsible for facilitating fentanyl overdose deaths. The lawsuit, which represents 63 families, contends that Snapchat's features enable drug dealers to operate with anonymity and promote illicit drugs to vulnerable teenagers.

Platforms: Snapchat