A 12-year-old boy has taken his own life after school pupils 'bullied him for being a cheerleader', it has been claimed.
Ronin Shimizu had recently been taken out of school after his parents complained of bullying on a number of occasions, but officials said they followed protocol.
The youngster, of Folsom, California, reportedly killed himself on Wednesday afternoon, although police are yet to reveal any further details about his death.
One fellow student from Folsom Middle School told CBS Sacramento: "I heard that people called him gay because he's a cheerleader."
Ronin, a member of the school's drama club, was the only male member of the Vista Junior Eagles Cheer Team until he dropped out amid allegations of severe bullying.
Shortly before his death he had left the public school system and signed up to the Folsom Cordova Unified School District's home-school program.