I hate writing these posts. Suicide is devastating enough without trying to exploit the situation to claim that lynching is back. In 2016, there were demonstrations in the streets of Atlanta after an unidentified black man was found hanged in Piedmont Park. They claimed he was lynched by members of the KKK, who they say were in the park handing out flyers during a rally the previous day (they weren't). CAIR, in 2017, called for the FBI to investigate the death of a Muslim teen who was found hanging from a tree. Ben Keita’s death was initially ruled a suicide, but the cause of death was changed to “undetermined,” reportedly under pressure from Keita’s family. The FBI did not investigate; rather, it agreed to review the medical examiner’s findings and found no evidence of any criminal activity.
As recently as last September, a student at Belta State University in Mississippi was found hanging from a tree. ABC's headline did not say he was lynched. Tesfaye Negussie, Josh Margolin, and Bill Hutchinson reported on Thursday, under the headline "Death of Black Delta State student found hanging in tree ruled suicide following autopsy," that the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's autopsy findings were "consistent with the initial investigation, determining the cause of death to be hanging and the manner of death as suicide," they said in a statement. Democrats like Rep. Rashida Tlaib and attorney Ben Crump pounced.
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act into law. Similar bills like the "Justice for Victims of Lynching Act" passed the Senate in 2018 and 2019. They were pushed by Cory Booker and then-Sen. Kamala Harris, who famously called the Jussie Smollett affair "an attempted modern-day lynching."
A trial injury lawyer wants to know why no one is talking about this incident:
Why is no one talking about this?
— ceolawyer (@ceolawyer) February 22, 2026
A 21-year-old college student, Kyle Bassinga, was found HANGING FROM A TREE in a Cobb County park in Marietta, Georgia.
Kyle’s Facebook page shows a recent altercation with a police officer where he was unlawfully detained on campus.
Cobb…
The post continues:
… County Police are saying there is no evidence of foul play, and are treating it like a suicide.
You heard that right.
The story is that a young, smart black man walked into a park on his own and hung himself.
I hope the family demands a full investigation.
The "story" is that a young, smart black man hung himself. How could that be possible? By all accounts, he was a young, smart black man.
It's like the people waiting for the next George Floyd … they're salivating at the idea that a black man was lynched. As I said, Booker and Harris both wanted to believe Smollett was the victim of an attempted lynching.
The family will probably demand a full investigation, and it will show that their loved one's death was a suicide. Just because you're young and smart doesn't mean you can't be suicidal, and many people with major depressive disorder hide it very well.
Rest in peace Kyle! I truly hope justice is served and this isn’t ignored. pic.twitter.com/8cMDE7zNM1
— ceolawyer (@ceolawyer) February 22, 2026
It's kind of ironic that our lawyer friend wants Bassinga to rest in peace while calling for justice to be served.
Sadly, a ton of people in the responses are certain this was a lynching.
I will never believe that any black man, woman or child hung themselves.
— Char Rao (@HangOnSoupy) February 23, 2026
The story that young Black men keeping hanging themselves in public places is just not believable. Local police can’t be trusted in these circumstances.
— GJ (@Pretty_Lush88) February 23, 2026
The cops won't do anything. They probably supplied the rope.
— Jonathan (@Jon___Dee) February 23, 2026
Black people DO NOT hang themselves from trees
— Dominique (@cupckepr1ncess) February 23, 2026
It's good that we're keeping an open mind.
You want this so bad
— Bond (@Bond429951) February 23, 2026
May he be left to rest in peace.
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