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WASHINGTON - Hundreds of people gathered Saturday to pay tribute to 12-year-old Stormiyah Denson-Jackson outside the school where authorities have said she took her own life Tuesday.
Denson-Jackson, who was known to friends and family as Storm, was found by her roommates hanged inside the SEED DC Charter School Tuesday morning.
Denson-Jackson's parents were among the crowd Saturday, which marched, sang and released balloons in Storm's memory.
Storm's parents tell FOX 5 they're having a hard time believing that she took her own life. They say Storm loved to model, act and excelled at many things she did.
The SEED School, which has a residential program for students, has come under fire since Storm's death after parents have reported rampant bullying issues they say went unaddressed by administrators. Storm's family has said she was reportedly bullied at the school.
Emotions erupted Thursday night as parents met with school officials for the first time since Storm's death.
Parents tell FOX 5 tensions were high in the meeting, so much that, in fact, police were called in to deescalate the situation.
Prior to Thursday's meeting, at least six parents reported they pulled their children from SEED after alleged instances of bullying, burning and sexual assault. Parents who FOX 5 spoke to say the children are not monitored in their dorms overnight and security cameras in at least one part of the campus don't work.