A historically black college graduate killed himself while recording a Facebook Live video earlier this week, days after his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault.
Authorities confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that HBCU grad Frederick Jay Bowdy was found dead in a parked car. Sgt. Tiffany Ljubetic said Bowdy told followers watching his live-stream that he was going to commit suicide, prompting a family member to call the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday morning.
Responding officers failed to reach Bowdy before he killed himself. Facebook later removed the video.
Bowdy, 33, was arrested in Santa Clarita on suspicion of sexual assault. The black college grad was released after posting $100,000 bail, according to Ljubetic.
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Bowdy attended historically black Southwestern Christian College, where he studied liberal arts and earned his associates degree.
“You leave behind a lot of people. You leave behind questions,” said Carolyn Bowdy, the HBCU alum’s sister, adding that she hopes her brother’s death will bring awareness to suicide and ways to prevent it from occurring.
“We didn’t want the action to be done at all,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if it was on Facebook or not, for his family. Millions of people now know our pain.”
