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KEARNS — The parents of a teenager who took his own life in front of his classmates spoke publicly Sunday for the first time since the death.
Family and friends arrived Sunday at a viewing for 14-year-old David Phan at Our Lady of Perpetual Hope Catholic church.
At about 3 p.m., the family spoke about Phan and this nightmare they're living in trying to deal with his death and learning that he was bullied in school.
Surrounded by his son, niece and other relatives, David's father broke down. Saying his English wasn't so good, he asked his niece to make a statement on behalf of himself and his wife.
That statement said David was an adored son with a witty sense of humor. She said he shielded his family from his negative experiences at school.
"David exuded love when his bullies showed nothing but ignorance and fear," said Thanh-Tung Than-Trong. "He was raised with compassion and understanding with the goal to contribute to society."
On Thurs, Phan took his own life, shooting himself on the overpass Bennion Junior High where he was a student. Several other students saw it happen.
Phan's family said that in this time of immense grief, they felt compelled to address conflicting statements about what led to David's death.
"Let us not deny the numerous accounts that David was a victim of serious bullying at school," Than-Trong said.
They declined to answer questions and did not go into detail about that statement.
After his death, granite school district officials say Phan told counselors years ago that he was bullied, but that he did not report anything recently.
David's family didn't know he was having problems either.
Related:
School officials say boy who shot himself never reported bullying
As students at Bennion Junior High mourn following the public suicide of a classmate, police and school officials continued Friday to investigate what led to the tragedy."David was an outstanding son, but he shielded his parents from the horror and negative experiences he was having at Bennion Junior High."
The family says they will meet with school administrators this week to address the conflicting statements. They don't want David's death to be in vain and want it to serve as a learning experience for others.
They are urging students to report bullying. They also want to see anti-discrimination safe zone training for school administrators and staff. They hope David's death won't be in vain.
"The love that David taught us should leave a legacy where we unite in a common goal to eliminate bullying," Than-Trong said.
An account has been set up at Wells Fargo, the funds of which will go toward anti-bullying education and outreach. Those who wish to donate can do so at any Wells Fargo under the name "Anti-Bullying Foundation in Memory of David Phan."*
*ksl.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does ksl.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
