A caring and loyal man tragically live-streamed his own death on Facebook with app TikTok scrambling to remove the clip which is being re-shared by its users.
Social media platforms are under fire for not moving quickly enough to remove the clip, while users are warning others not to click on it if they see it appear in their feeds.
The distressing footage went viral on TikTok after Ronnie McNutt, 33, killed himself at home while sitting in front of a desk.
One friend wrote: “Please say a prayer right now for the family of Ronnie McNutt. He just killed himself live on FB and I cannot unsee this.
“I tried but apparently it wasn’t quick enough to reach him. I wasn’t quick enough. Dear God I wish I could have gotten to him.”
Ronnie’s death happened in Mississippi on August 31, with TikTok desperately now trying to remove any clip of the incident and banning anyone who re-uploads it.
There are reports that the video appeared on TikTok’s ‘For You’ trending homepage, which would have made it harder to avoid the footage.
Countless social media users have claimed they unintentionally saw the clip, and have warned others not to click on the thumbnail (which shows a bearded man with glasses speaking to someone on the phone), Daily Star reports.
“If you see this guy on your FYP [For You page] please scroll up immediately, it’s very gruesome and I highly suggest you stay away from TikTok for a while,” one Twitter user said.
“I was scrolling TikTok and suddenly there’s a video of a guy that killed themselves with a shotgun and I am seriously warning you DO NOT watch it DO NOT SEARCH FOR IT because it’s very terrifying and gory so pls BE CAREFUL god damn I’m shaking,” another said.
A TikTok spokesperson said: “On Sunday night, clips of a suicide that had been livestreamed on Facebook circulated on other platforms, including TikTok.
“Our systems have been automatically detecting and flagging these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide.
“We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and we appreciate our community members who’ve reported content and warned others against watching, engaging, or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the person and their family.
“If anyone in our community is struggling with thoughts of suicide or concerned about someone who is, we encourage them to seek support, and we provide access to hotlines directly from our app and in our Safety Centre.”
Mr McNutt, a former Army veteran who served in Iraq, worked at a Toyota plant in Blue Springs, New Albany. There are unconfirmed reports that he had lost his job and broken up with his girlfriend before his suicide.
He was a member of Celebration Church Tupelo, which confirmed his death in a post on its Facebook page on September 1.
“In the midst of a sudden tragedy that occurred last night, we grieve with the McNutt Family during this time because passing of our brother in Christ, Ronnie McNutt,” it said.
“Ronnie will be missed by all who loved and knew him. He was very caring, committed, loyal, dependable, and eccentric. He served his church faithfully and was loved by many.
“Although events surrounding his death were tragic, we take comfort in our Creator, believing that because of Ronnie’s confession and conversion as a believer in Christ Jesus, he is currently before our loving Father.”
The church has launched an online fundraiser to raise money for Mr McNutt’s family.
A Facebook company spokesperson said: “We removed the original video from Facebook last month on the day it was streamed and have used automation technology to remove copies and uploads since that time.
“Our thoughts remain with Ronnie’s family and friends during this difficult time.”