Jo’Vianni Smith died by suicide at her home last week, with teachers and her mother fearful that the stress of the ongoing coronavirus lockdown drove her to take her own life (Pictures: GoFundMe/Fox40)

A 15 year-old girl hanged herself after struggling to cope with the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, her mother believes. Jo’Vianni Smith was found dead at her home in Stockton, California. She did not leave any note, and her mother Danielle Hunt says she had no idea of her late daughter’s mental anguish.

Hunt says her daughter was ‘bubbly’ and ‘loving’, and active on social media. She is now wondering whether she had trouble ‘coping with’ the Golden State’s ongoing stay-at-home order aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19.

One coach at Bear Creek High School, which Jo’Vianni attended, echoed the mother’s concerns, and told Recordnet ‘The cause of death reportedly was due to the stresses and pressures from coping with the self-isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.’



Hunt told Fox40: ‘We can’t think that our kids are OK just because…I felt that I was doing all that I could as a parent to leave the communication open.’ The grieving mother is now intent on sharing Jo’Vianni’s story to encourage parents and carers to keep a close eye on youngsters who may appear to be doing fine.


She said: ‘I will still do my best to tell my daughter’s story. Sometimes we may need to stop and worry about the kids that we don’t think we need to worry about.’ Paying tribute to her daughter, who loved softball, basketball and music, Hunt added: ‘It’s like, how do you explain a girl like her? If you met her one time, like, she made an impact in your life.’

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Two students at another school district close to Jo’Vianni’s have died by suicide in recent weeks, as experts warn social distancing rules barring people from going out or seeing friends and loved ones is having a detrimental effect on many people’s mental health.

A spokesman for the Lodi Unified School District, where Jo’Vianni was a student, said: ‘We were deeply saddened to learn of Jo’vianni Smith’s passing. Jo’vianni was well loved by the Bear Creek High community. She participated in band, played basketball and softball, and was known for her joyful spirit on campus.

‘She will be dearly missed by those who knew her. Our hearts go out to the students, families, and staff impacted by this tragedy. We are providing remote counseling and bereavement services to those who need support right now.’

For 24/7 confidential emotional support, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 in the US. For the UK contact Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.