A mayor in Alabama has died in an obvious suicide – days after a right-wing web site revealed photos of him carrying ladies’s garments and make-up.
F.L. “Bubba” Copeland – who was additionally a pastor at a close-by church – fatally shot himself on Friday, in line with Sky’s US accomplice NBC Information.
Mr Copeland had requested for the web site to not publish the images, however it refused and went forward with the story two days earlier than his demise.
He had been quoted as saying: “What I do in personal life has nothing to do with what I do in my holy life.
“Does this have any impact on me being mayor, that I generally placed on a costume or generally placed on make-up? Does which have something to do in any respect with me being mayor or being a pastor?”
The Conservative publication behind the story has been condemned by a Democratic senator within the state, who mentioned it was “unhappy and disgusting” how Mr Copeland had been handled.
“We stay in a imply, bitter world the place the self-righteous are likely to throw the biggest stones,” Doug Jones added in a press release.
“He was a superb man and an ideal mayor who led the small city of Smith Station by the powerful instances of a devastating twister a number of years in the past.”
An post-mortem is because of happen on Monday.
Anybody feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can name Samaritans for assistance on 116 123 or e mail jo@samaritans.org within the UK. Within the US, name the Samaritans department in your space or 1 (800) 273-TALK.