Menene kalmomin ƙarshe da Brandon Guffey ya faɗa wa ɗansa Gavin? Shekaru huɗu bayan haka, har yanzu yana kokawa da wannan tambayar. "Wannan musayar ta ƙarshe tana damuna koyaushe," in ji shi. "Ina tsammanin na ce, 'Barka da dare, aboki. Ina son ka,' kuma ya ce, 'Zan gan ka da safe.' Ina matuƙar fatan abin da na faɗa ke nan. Gaskiyar ita ce, ba zan taɓa sanin tabbas ba."
Musayar ta faru ne a watan Yuli 2022, a wata rana mai zafi a Rock Hill, South Carolina. Makonni kaɗan da suka wuce, Guffey ya lashe zaɓen neman takarar Republican don tsayawa takarar Majalisar Wakilai ta jihar. Zaɓen ya rage wata uku, kansa cike da siyasa, kuma ya shafe wannan maraice a wani taron gida.
Gidan ya yi tsit lokacin da ya dawo gida kafin tsakar dare. Matarsa, Melissa, ta kwanta. Ɗansa biyu ƙanana, Callahan, ɗan shekara 4, da Coen, ɗan shekara 16, suna barci, tare da karnukan iyali biyu. Sautunan da ake ji kawai su ne na cicadas na bazara da kwadi suna kira daga wani rafi kusa — da kuma dariyar ɗansa mai shekara 17, Gavin. Yana wasa a ɗakin kwanansa, sanye da na'urar kunne, yana magana da abokai. Hutu ne mai tsawo na bazara tsakanin makaranta da fara jami'a. "Ina yawan cewa Gavin yana rayuwa mafi kyau a wannan lokacin," in ji Guffey. "Ya ji daɗin kasancewarsa. Ba ya ƙoƙarin shiga cikin wani abu ko faranta wa kowa rai. Yana fatan fara jami'a da bin burinsa na zama malamin fasaha."
Wata waya ta shigo a wayar Guffey. Yana fatan da bai taɓa ɗauka ba. Tunanin cewa Gavin na iya buƙatar mahaifinsa lokacin da ba ya nan, yana magana kan siyasa a baranda a waje, ya yi nauyi sosai — amma a cikin sa'a da ta biyo baya, rayuwar Gavin ta ruguje zuwa cikin duhu.
Wata buƙatar abota ta shigo a Instagram na Gavin daga BellaJanet28. Suna da abokai ɗaya — musayar su ta nuna cewa Gavin yana tsammanin ita 'yar wasan volleyball ce daga wata kwaleji ta gida. Guffey har yanzu bai iya samun ƙarfin karanta tattaunawar da ke tsakaninsu ba, amma ya san cewa BellaJanet28 ta ba da shawarar wasan gaskiya ko ƙalubale, wanda ya kai ga Gavin ya aika hotuna na sirri, sannan ƙoƙarin sextortion. BellaJanet28 ta buƙaci kuɗi, in ba haka ba za a raba hotunan ga duk abokan Gavin.
Da misalin ƙarfe 1:30 na safe, Guffey ya ga Gavin a kan matakala, inda suka yi wannan musayar ta ƙarshe. Bayan ɗan lokaci, wani sauti mai ban tsoro — wani abu ya faɗi, kamar ƙwallon bowling — ya buge daga ɗakin wanka, inda Guffey ya sami ɗansa kwance a ƙasa. Ƙanshin foda, jinin da ya jike cikin safansa, kukan Melissa — har yanzu suna damunsa da firgita. "Ba zan daina maimaita shi ba," in ji shi. "Sun zama wani ɓangare na ni har abada."
Guffey yanzu ɗan majalisa ne na jihar South Carolina kuma babban mai fafutukar kare lafiyar yara a kan layi. A jiharsa, ya tura sabbin matakan kariya. Shekara ɗaya kacal bayan mutuwar Gavin, godiya ga yaƙin neman zaɓen Guffey, an zartar da "Dokar Gavin" a South Carolina, wanda ya mai da sextortion laifi mai tsanani kuma ya buƙaci ilimi game da shi a duk makarantu. A bara, Guffey ya sami nasarar sake fasalin da zai buƙaci kamfanonin sada zumunta su kunna fasalin tsaro lokacin da masu amfani a South Carolina ba su kai shekara 16 ba, gami da izinin iyaye don asusu da hana tallace-tallace kai tsaye, gungurawa mara iyaka, da sake kunna bidiyo ta atomatik — duk waɗannan suna da alaƙa da tsawaita lokacin kallon allo. Ya kafa wata ƙungiya mai zaman kanta, Less Than 3, wacce ke yaƙin neman zaɓe kan waɗannan batutuwa kuma tana tallafa wa iyalai da abin ya shafa. Yana yawan raba labarin Gavin a makarantu, coci-coci, da cibiyoyin al'umma.
Yanzu Guffey ya rubuta littafi game da shi. Tomorrow Needs You karatu ne mai wahala, mai ban tsoro — kuma gaskiya mai ɗaci. A fannoni da yawa, Guffey ya zargi kansa. Shin aikinsa ya taka rawa? Yawancin rayuwar aikin Guffey ya shafe ta a kasuwanci, yana gina wurin sayar da kayan aikin gyaran fili wanda har yanzu yake gudanarwa. Amma a 2020, ya shiga majalisar gunduma kuma yanzu yana aiki don samun kujera a majalisar jiha. "Babbar kujera ce. Wannan babbar takara ce da ta sami ɗaukar hoto mai yawa," in ji shi, "kuma Gavin ya riga ya shahara a tsakiyarsa." Wata rana da dare, Gavin ya hango Lamborghini na ɗan wasan ƙwallon kwando LaMelo Ball, ya nuna gindinsa a gefenta, kuma ya saka hoton a Twitter/X. "Na yi masa magana game da sunan Guffey kuma na gaya masa kada ya lalata shi," in ji Guffey. (Gavin ya saka uzuri—"Yi haƙuri Melo, ba zan sake nuna gindina haka ba"—tare da emojis na babban yatsa biyu.) "Gavin ya ga abokai sun rasa tallafin karatun kwaleji saboda wani abu na wauta da suka faɗa a Twitter," in ji Guffey. "A gare shi, komai yana kan layi. Waɗannan hotunan ba za su taɓa ɓacewa ba."
Ko da ba a yi la'akari da aikinsa na siyasa ba, Guffey ya ji ya gaza a matsayin uba da abin koyi. "Zaune a can a wannan dare, na riga na tambayi kaina, 'Me ya sa bai zo wurina ba? Shin yana da matuƙar damuwa game da nuna rauni?'" in ji Guffey. "Ya ɗauki wani bala'i kafin in fara zurfafa cikin kaina da cewa, 'Na kasance ina yin wannan ba daidai ba duk rayuwata.'"
Guffey da kansa wata matashiya uwa ce ta rene shi wacce ta kasance mai tauri—tana aiki a ayyuka uku kuma tana ɗauke da bulo a cikin jakarta—kuma ta koya wa ɗanta ya zama mai tauri shi ma. "Tana jin tsoron ba ni da wani tasiri na maza, kuma ta tura ni zuwa wancan gefen namiji inda 'maza ba sa yin kuka,' ka haƙura ko me ya faru," in ji shi. "Dukan iyalina, wannan al'umma, wannan ita ce tunani. Ka zama namiji. Ka shafa ƙasa a kai."
Sannan akwai bindigar da Gavin ya yi amfani da ita don aiwatar da wannan mugun shawara na daƙiƙa. Ta Guffey ce, wanda ya ɗauke ta a wani tafiya na sansani kwanan nan don kariya, sannan ya bar ta a kan wani babban shiryayye, yana nufin ya ajiye ta a kulle. "Ban san cewa yawancin kashe kai na gaggawa ne ba," in ji Guffey. Tun daga lokacin an gaya masa cewa matsakaicin lokaci tsakanin yanke shawarar kashe kanka da aikin kansa minti 20 ne kawai, amma idan bindiga ta shiga hannu, yana iya zama ƙasa da uku. (Don haka sunan ƙungiyarsa mai zaman kanta.) Ya kawar da bindigoginsa yanzu. "Na mai da hankali sosai kan kare iyalina daga barazanar waje, ban gane haɗarin da zai iya zuwa daga cikin gida ba," in ji shi. "Kayan aikin da nake da shi don kare ɗana ya zama kayan aikin da ya yi amfani da shi don kashe kansa."
Da farko, nauyin baƙin ciki da gazawa ya yi nauyi sosai. Guffey ya ce ba zai iya wuce minti 15 ba tare da jin yana rushewa ba. Wani lokaci, ya sha giya da yawa—har ya kai ga suma a kan hanyar da ke wajen gidansa. Ɗansa Coen ne ya ɗauke shi gefe ya ce yana da wahala ganin mahaifinsa haka wanda ya zama faɗakarwa. "Ina ƙoƙarin kwantar da kaina," in ji shi. "Ban daina shan giya ba, amma ba na ajiye barasa a gidana yanzu. Na koyi cewa duk wani motsin rai da nake ji idan na fara sha kawai ana ƙara ƙarfafa shi."
Wannan tattaunawa da Coen ta nuna wani babban sauyi. "Hanya ɗaya da zan iya aiki ita ce tunanin cewa yara maza biyu suna kallo don ganin yadda nake jurewa, kuma ina koya musu ko ina so ko ba na so," in ji shi. "Iyaye suna ƙware wajen ba da shawara. Muna kawai mugun bin ta. Don haka abin da na yi ƙoƙarin yi tun daga lokacin shi ne tunanin, 'Wace shawara zan ba Coen?' sannan in yi ƙoƙarin yin hakan."
Tallafin gaggawa daga al'ummarsa ya taimaka. Daga daren da abin ya faru, gidansu, in ji shi, ya zama kamar "ƙaramin birni," cike da mutane da suka kawo abinci, suka fitar da shara, kuma suka kula da Callahan ɗan shekara huɗu. "Mutanen da suka kasance masu adawa da ni a siyasa sun bayyana don ni," in ji shi. "Babu abin da zai sa ka gane yadda rabin abubuwan da muke faɗa a kansu wauta ne sai ka shiga irin wannan rashi."
Haɗuwa da abokan Gavin wani tushen ta'aziyya ne. Sa'o'i 48 kacal bayan mutuwarsa, Guffey ya gayyaci duk wanda ya san Gavin zuwa wani wuri na al'umma don raba abubuwan tunawa. "Na san Gavin a matsayin ɗa," in ji shi. "Ina son ra'ayinsu, cikakken hoto na ko wanene shi." Ya koyi cewa lokacin da Gavin yakan bar gida da ƙarfe 4 na safe—Guffey ya kasance yana tsammanin yana zuwa wurin motsa jiki kafin makaranta—a zahiri yana ɗaukar abokai da suka yi nisa da dare kuma suna ƙoƙarin komawa gida. Kuma dalilin da ya sa tufafin Gavin da yawa suka yi kamar suna ɓacewa—tare da na Guffey, gami da wata hula da ta ɓace—shi ne Gavin ya ba da su ga abokai. "Ina son dukan labarun, ko yaya haushi ko mummuna," in ji shi, "kuma sun kawo farin ciki mai yawa."
Wayar Gavin da sauri ta ba 'yan sanda cikakken hoto na musayar da ta kai ga kashe kansa. Farkon tunanin Guffey shi ne ya fice daga zaɓen ya ba da kansa don nemo "BellaJanet28". Ko da yake Meta ta rufe wannan asusun Instagram bayan sammacin kotu, wani mai hoto iri ɗaya da jerin abokai, yanzu yana amfani da sunan BellaJanet30, yana tuntuɓar 'yan uwan Gavin. Ba a yi imanin cewa an yi wa Gavin hari saboda aikin Guffey ba—wataƙila kusanci ne na kwatsam—amma mai sextortion ya bi abubuwan da suka faru tun daga lokacin kuma yanzu yana neman kuɗi daga Melissa, Coen, ɗan uwan Gavin mai shekara 14, da Guffey da kansa don musayar hotunan. Wata saƙo ta ƙunshi wani labari kan Hunter Biden, tare da hoton Gavin da aka dora a kansa. Ma'anar a bayyane take.
Duba hoto a cikakken allo
Guffey tare da wasu daga cikin zane-zanen Gavin. Hoto: Mike Belleme
Kwana biyu kafin ranar da Gavin zai cika shekara 18, ƙasa da wata ɗaya bayan mutuwarsa, Guffey ya sami saƙo daga BellaJanet30 wanda ya ce, "Na gaya maka ɗanka ya roƙi rayuwarsa?", sannan emoji na fuska mai dariya. Guffey ya amsa, "Zan same ka. Zan ƙarasa ka. Za ka yi nadama da wannan."
A cikin duk wannan, tunanin "siyasa"—na yin yaƙin zaɓe da hidimar al'umma—ya zama kamar ba zai yiwu ba. "Abu na ƙarshe da nake so shi ne in magance matsalolin wasu. Ban ƙara jin na cancanta ba," in ji shi. Guffey ya gaya wa Melissa cewa zai janye, amma amsarta ba ta da shakka. "Ta ce," in ji Guffey, "'A'a sam. Kana ɗaya daga cikin mutane kaɗan da za su iya kawo canji. Je can ka ceci Gavin na gaba.'"
A wasu fannoni, wannan manufa ta ceci Guffey ma, kuma ta sa ya ci gaba. Inda da Guffey bai san komai game da sextortion ba—ɗaya daga cikin laifukan kan layi da suka fi girma cikin sauri a kan yara—yanzu akwai kaɗan da suka fi sani.
Guffey mai fafutuka ne mai ƙwazo don soke sashe na 230 a Amurka, wanda ke ba dandamali kariya ta shari'a ga abubuwan da suke ɗauka saboda mai amfani ne ya ƙirƙira su. "Zan so in ga babu sada zumunta ga kowane ƙarami," in ji shi, "amma idan za a iya ɗaukar kamfanonin fasaha alhakin farar hula kan abin da suke isar wa yara, za su fifita aminci kan riba."
Binciken da FBI da jami'an tsaro na South Carolina suka yi kan BellaJanet28 ya buƙaci sabbin matakan haƙuri, in ji Guffey. "Ya kasance kamar riƙe numfashina a ƙarƙashin ruwa." Nasarar ta zo ta hanyar lambobin tabbatar da banki waɗanda suka ba jami'ai damar gano ma'amalolin kuɗi masu alaƙa da asusun.
A watan Janairu 2025, wanda ake zargin shi ne ke da alhakin sextortion na Gavin, Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal, an mika shi daga Najeriya. Guffey da Melissa sun halarci bayyanarsa ta farko a kotu a Columbia, South Carolina, inda ya musanta tuhume-tuhumen da suka haɗa da cin zarafin yara wanda ya haifar da mutuwa, bin diddigin yanar gizo, da tilastawa. "Na jira ya fito, cike da fushi, haushi, da damuwa har na tsage wani hakori na baya," in ji Guffey. "Da zarar ya bayyana, matata kawai ta rushe, sannan abin ya zama game da kare ta, ba fushi gare shi ba. Bai so ya dube mu ba." Ana sa ran shari'ar farko a watan Disamba.
Guffey tare da Coen, Callahan, da Gavin. Hoto: Godiya ga Brandon Guffey
A cikin ɗan gajeren lokaci tun mutuwar Gavin, Guffey ya yi imanin an sami ɗan ci gaba. "A cikin shekaru biyu na farko, ina samun kira ne kawai daga matasa da ke fama da shi, kuma ina ƙoƙarin shawo kansu su je wurin iyayensu," in ji shi. "Yanzu ina samun kira daga iyaye waɗanda matasansu suka gaya musu, kuma suna zuwa wurina don taimako." Amma babu abin da yake yi da yake jin ya isa. "Idan ka tambaye ni abin da na cim ma, ba zan iya gaya maka ba, saboda ci gaba, ci gaba, ci gaba," in ji shi. "Wannan shine baƙin cikina. Kowa yana yin shi daban, kuma wannan yana jin kamar abin da ya kamata in yi. Dole ne in yi amfani da wannan fushin wani lokaci, kawai don tashi, ci gaba, da jure kwanaki."
Gavin ya kasance tare da shi kowane lokaci, in ji shi—a cikin taron jama'a, a cikin masu sauraro lokacin da Guffey ke jawabi, da kuma a gida lokacin da ya shiga ƙofa. Yana ganin baƙin ciki a matsayin wani nau'in "tsarin yanayi… koyaushe kana ƙarƙashinsa," in ji Guffey. "Kuma kana ɗauke da laima a kowane lokaci."
Ko da yake mutane sukan gaya wa Guffey yadda yake "da ƙarfi," haka ba ya ji. "Ƙarfi yana nufin zaɓi," in ji shi. "Abin da na yi jurewa ne. Lokacin da Gavin ya mutu, na yi alkawari cewa mutuwarsa ba za ta zama banza ba. Manufata har ranar da zan mutu ita ce in yi ƙoƙarin tabbatar babu wani matashi da zai ji kamar an kama shi, kunya, da rashin bege kamar yadda ya ji a wannan dare."
Tomorrow Needs You na Brandon Guffey (John Wiley, £21.99) an buga shi ranar 22 ga Oktoba. Don tallafa wa Guardian, yi oda da kwafinka a guardianbookshop.com. Ana iya amfani da kuɗin bayarwa.
A Burtaniya da Ireland, ana iya tuntuɓar Samaritans a freephone 116 123. A Amurka, za ka iya kira ko aika saƙo zuwa National Suicide Prevention Lifeline a 988, yi hira a 988lifeline.org, ko aika HOME zuwa 741741 don haɗi da mai ba da shawara kan rikici. A Ostiraliya, sabis ɗin tallafin rikici Lifeline shine 13 11 14. Ana iya samun wasu layukan taimako na duniya a befrienders.org.
Tambayoyin da ake yawan yi
Ga jerin tambayoyin da ake yawan yi dangane da labarin wata uwa wadda ɗanta ya mutu ta hanyar kashe kansa bayan an zamba a kan layi da manufarta ta kare wasu yara
Tambayoyin Farko
1 Menene ya faru da ɗan wannan uwar
An yaudari ɗanta matashi da wani mai zamba a kan layi Mai zamban ya yi barazanar fallasa shi kuma kunya da tsoro sun yi yawa har ya kashe kansa Mahaifiyarsa ta ji abin yana faruwa
2 Wace irin zamba ce
Zamba ce ta sextortion Mai zamban ya yi kamar yarinya mai shekarunsa ya sa shi ya aika hoto na sirri sannan ya yi barazanar raba shi ga duk wanda ya sani sai ya biya kuɗi
3 Menene ma'anar sextortion
Sextortion shine lokacin da wani ya yi barazanar raba hotuna ko bayanai na jima'i game da kai sai ka biya su ko ka yi abin da suka ce Yakan fara da ƙarya ta dangantaka a kan layi
4 Su waye suka fi fadawa cikin waɗannan zamba
Matasa da samari su ne aka fi hari musamman maza Masu zamba sun san sau da yawa suna jin kunyar gaya wa iyaye ko hukumomi
5 A ina waɗannan zamba suka fi faruwa
Galibi a kan sada zumunta dandamalin wasanni da manhajojin aika saƙonni Masu zamba suna ƙirƙirar bayanan karya kuma suna tuntuɓar yara kai tsaye
6 Me ya sa yara ba sa gaya wa iyayensu
Suna jin kunya tsoro da damuwa game da shiga cikin matsala Suna tunanin za su iya gyara shi da kansu wanda shine ainihin abin da masu zamba suke dogaro da shi
7 Me ya kamata yaro ya yi idan ana zamba da shi haka
Tsayar da duk wata hulɗa nan take Kada ka biya Ɗauki hotunan allo a matsayin shaida Gaya wa babba da aka amince da shi nan take Kai rahoton asusun ga dandamali
8 Me iyaye za su iya yi don hana wannan
Yi magana a fili game da haɗarin kan layi ba tare da hukunci ba Sa ido kan manhajoji da buƙatun abota Koya wa yara cewa babu wani baƙo a kan layi da ya kamata ya taɓa neman hotuna na sirri
Tambayoyin Matsakaici
9 Ta yaya masu zamba suke samun amincewar yaro da sauri haka
Suna amfani da bayanan karya da hotuna sata suna yi wa yaron soyayya da kulawa kuma suna tafiya da sauri Sau da yawa suna hari kan yara da suka ji kaɗaici ko suka shafe lokaci mai yawa a kan layi
10 Menene alamun gargaɗi da yaro zai iya zama wanda aka zalunta
Asiri kwatsam da na'urori damuwa janyewa daga iyali rashin ci ko barci ko neman kuɗi cikin gaggawa ba tare da bayani ba
