Nearly 28,000 people have signed a petition demanding justice for Gloria Bambo, a 20-year-old Black woman whose body was reportedly discovered hanging in a garage.
The Change.org petition states Bambo—a McKinney, Texas resident—was reported missing July 9 and was found three days later by her 19-year-old male roommate. The McKinney Police Department has since ruled the woman's death a suicide, but many on social media are convinced foul play was afoot. Facebook user Jamilla Arnold published a number claims about Bambo's death that have stoked speculation; the Facebook post, which has either been deleted or made private, alleged Bambo went missing July 9 and "supposedly died in that garage the same day...Gloria’s body was in that garage 3 days, where people resided, and repairs were made. No one has heard anything about this why? We need to know what happened to Gloria."
The McKinney Police Department released a statement last week in response to the speculation surrounding Bambo's death. Officials said they are still awaiting the Medical Examiner's findings, but all evidence points to a death by suicide. The police department also said the roommate who discovered her body is cooperating with police. The statement does not state when and where Bambo's body was discovered. It's also unclear how many people resided in Bambo's home.
The McKinney Police Department typically does not comment on suicides, including naming the deceased, but due to the public nature of this case we feel the need to clarify some inaccuracies.
Though the police department said the investigation is ongoing, the petition's creator, Kedrian Fisher, claims the case has been closed.
"Police refused share any other information to the family. That's right our law and order only gave her a paragraph of information," the petition reads. "Her enemies are so convinced on erasing her life & her story that they hijacked Gloria's social media. Her adversary literally alt delete her images, words and lifestyle ... My friend really got lynched in broad light. Look at our called 'protectors' not doing SHIT cause nobody got her on camera when she struggled for oxygen. That is why this case is closed."
According to Diaspora 7, Bambo's roommate released a statement through another woman on Twitter. The statement was alleged Bambo was living with anxiety and bipolar disorder, had been estranged from her family living in South Africa, and lost her job about a week before her death. The Twitter user also shared screenshots of purported text messages between Bambo and her roommate to support his claims.
The Collin County NAACP addressed Bambo's death in a July 20 tweet, stating they would "not accept the sole statement from the roommate. We will seek justice."
