'He was harassed': Chicago family creates 'Buckets over Bullying' after son dies by suicide

CHICAGO - Basketball over bullying. 

A hoops' event took place Wednesday afternoon to encourage kids to start the school year off on the right foot. Social media trick shot sensation Tristan Jass was also there raising awareness about cyberbullying.

This fun event was created to bring light to a very serious topic. It started after a mom lost her son due to cyberbullying. 

Nate Bronstein, 15, was cyberbullied at the Latin School of Chicago. His mom says he reported it to the school but not to anyone else, and eventually, he took his own life because of it.

"Vicious, vicious statements, suicide baiting messages, he was harassed, he was threatened and as a result, we lost him to suicide January 13th of 2022," said Rose Bronstein.

Then, his family took their pain and turned it into "Buckets over Bullying," teaming up with social media trick-shot superstar Tristan Jass. He is now using his platform of millions of followers to encourage youth to speak out if they are a victim or if they see something. 

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"They're watching it happen, and they're not protecting each other, and parents are not well-informed about how dangerous cyberbullying has become," said Bronstein.

Nate Bronstein | Provided

Kids who showed up to the event were encouraged to pledge to be good digital citizens. 

"I found out that Nate was actually a fan of mine, and he liked to watch the videos and stuff which, kind of, you know, hit it home a little bit more. Obviously, you know, this should never happen," said Jass. "I felt like I could use my platform to help spread awareness about this and to try to save as many lives as possible," said Jass.

The event was held in Oz Park for the second year in a row at the basketball courts.